Proposal calls for closing 20 Philly schools and upgrading others
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The Philly school district has laid out a $2.8 billion plan that would close 20 schools and modernize roughly 160 across the city.
Why it matters: The much-anticipated proposal would reshape the district, bringing sweeping changes to more than half of its buildings.
State of play: The plan isn't expected to kick off until at least the start of the 2027-28 school year, giving individual school leaders more than a year to prepare, district brass revealed Thursday.
- Students affected by the changes would be reassigned to other schools.
Yes, but: The school board must still sign off on the proposal.
- Officials will present the plan to the school board on Feb. 26.
Context: The unveiling of the plan comes as the district has seen enrollment drop sharply over the past decade and its aging buildings struggle with environmental issues, like asbestos and lead.
- The district also has far more buildings (307) and classroom space than needed.
- The enrollment decline comes as some families gravitate toward alternative schooling options such as charters. Public school proponents blame factors such as shoddy facilities.
The intrigue: A lack of funding could derail the plan.
- The district expects to contribute $1 billion.
- But the majority of the costs — $1.8 billion — will depend on state and philanthropic sources, both of which are far from certain.
Plus: The district is facing a serious budget shortfall and has struggled for years over projects that are far less ambitious, such as installing air conditioning in all schools.
What they're saying: Superintendent Tony Watlington acknowledged in a news release that the decisions facing the districts will be difficult.
- But he added that the plan will help the district "increase access to high-quality academic and extracurricular programs across neighborhoods."
❌ Closures: The following schools would shutter under the plan:
- Elementary: Blankenburg, Fitler, Ludlow, Overbrook, Pennypacker, Robert Morris, Waring, Welsh
- Middle: AMY Northwest, Conwell, Harden, Penn Treaty, Stetson, Tilden, Wagner
- High schools: Lankenau, Motivation, Parkway Northwest, Parkway West Robeson
Worth noting: Some of the schools flagged for closure will relocate their programs to other schools.
- For example: Lankenau High School's program will move into Roxborough High School as an honors program.
🤝 Co-locate: The plan includes merging six schools inside existing district buildings.
- For example: The district aims to co-locate Building 21 at Martin Luther King High School.
🛠️ Modernized: 159 facilities would receive big upgrades.
- That includes Bache-Martin School to increase quality and capacity, and creating a performing arts center at Central High School.
🏗️ New: A 5th-12th grade school would be built for the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush at the site of the former Samuel Fels High School in Northeast Philly.
Meanwhile, 122 facilities would be maintained as-is with regular maintenance.
What else: The city would take over several buildings as part of the plan, including Lankenau, Robeson, Building 21, and the U School.