FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
In Philadelphia, providing a world class public education to every student is a daunting challenge due to decades of underfunding that starved our schools of essential resources and robbed our students of opportunity. Nevertheless, we must redouble our commitment to overcome this challenge for the sake of Philadelphia’s children and future.
What’s perfectly clear in the school facilities plan is the closure of 20 schools will undoubtedly destabilize the education of students, making the continuity of teaching and learning and access to school more complicated for many families. What is unclear is how the plan will support greater access to pre-k or Career and Technical Education (CTE). Although the plan notes that 151 school buildings are slated for improvements, it offers no concrete details in this regard.
Children First calls on school officials and elected officials to spell out a guarantee that every student will be better off than they are now when the plan is implemented. Further, we call for the district to increase the depth of details of the plan associated with pre-k, CTE, and modernizations so students, children, faculty, and all concerned Philadelphians can determine if the vision and goals of this plan align with the estimated costs and implementation.
Children First believes that the School Board must add a new principle to the plan’s framing and essential goals that this plan will Do No Harm. This means that a new element of the plan must be added, delineating supports for the student transition process that at a minimum includes the following:
- Robust communication with and support of impacted families. This includes offering clear and timely information about impending changes and projects, and access to a 24-hour Help Desk to help the 5,000 impacted families choose the school that best fits their child’s needs.
- Every student who is required to relocate, because of the closure and transfers, must be given priority access to any unfilled seats in other schools, including special admission schools, and priority offers in the school selection process.
- Students with IEPs or IFSPs are guaranteed to receive an individualized transition plan, co-developed by the sending and receiving schools, with oversight from the Office of Diverse Learners to guarantee continuity of services.
- Students in schools that are closed must be offered a full suite of mental health services operated by the District and Community Behavioral Health, the district must establish a continuity plan so that a student’s mental health services are not interrupted, and the district must ensure in schools with the full suite of mental health services they are financially supported to meet the needs of new students enrolled as a result of transfers.
The School District of Philadelphia is currently underfunded by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania by nearly $1 billion, a stark reminder of the decades of disinvestment in Pennsylvania’s largest school district. That the district faces chronic underfunding has put the district and the city in a position in which it has to close schools in order to bring modern facilities to every neighborhood. The consequence for children and families, especially Black and brown children and families, is that they must face a school closure in order to receive a quality education.
Children First further calls on Mayor Parker and City Council to fund the School District of Philadelphia. Beyond the facilities plan, the city must increase its financial investment in District operations as well as facilities. By increasing local funding, parents and children are confident that both the quality of education and the condition of schools that remain open will improve.
In a world-class city, our students have the right to a world-class education. Great school buildings, great teachers, and enriching programs are essential to making that happen. It’s time to fund our schools.