Confusion swirls around alternative plan to close Philly schools
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
The School District of Philadelphia's headquarters on North Broad Street. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
The School District of Philadelphia needs to raise nearly $2 billion in outside funding to carry out its 10-year plan to modernize some schools and close others.
- But there appears to be a cheaper alternative if the funding falls short — despite an official insisting a backup plan doesn't exist.
Why it matters: Philly is getting mixed messaging about what happens if the money doesn't come through.
Catch up quick: Philly's Board of Education signed off on Superintendent Tony Watlington's $3 billion blueprint last month, which would close 17 schools and modernize 169 others.
- Under the plan, the district would chip in $1.1 billion and seek the remainder from public and philanthropic sources.
- The district expects to begin implementing Plan A at the start of the 2027–28 school year.
The intrigue: The district says on its website that if the additional funding isn't obtained, there's an alternative plan, first reported by Chalkbeat, that would take 16 years and cost $1.85 billion.
- The district says it could finance this second plan through borrowing without outside funding.
- This option would modernize the same number of schools, while 45 buildings would remain in "poor" or "unsatisfactory" condition (rather than none under the original plan).
- No further details are provided.
Yes, but: District spokesperson Monique Braxton tells Axios, "There is no alternative plan."
- She added that district leaders will be "working on funding sources" even as the original plan's implementation begins in 2027.
- She didn't answer why the backup plan is listed on the district's website, and deferred further questions to the BOE.
What they're saying: Sithi Bucciarelli, chief of staff for the BOE, tells Axios that the alternative plan exists and is "based on the same set of recommendations that have been adopted" in the approved $3 billion plan.
- She declined to respond to additional questions from Axios about the second plan.
The other side: Philly Councilmember Isaiah Thomas tells Axios that he's unaware of an alternative plan, adding that the district has always presented the original facilities plan as the only option.
- "It's shocking and I think it continues to confuse the public," he says.
The big picture: There's no guarantee that Philly's school district will raise enough funding for its original plan.
- State lawmakers have long been criticized by school advocates and parents for underfunding the district. And the Trump administration is gutting the U.S. Department of Education.
- Plus: The district has never previously raised funding at the scale required for the proposal, board member Crystal Cubbage said at a recent meeting, per Chalkbeat.
What we're watching: The district is already facing a $300 million deficit this coming fiscal year.