PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The Philadelphia School District’s plan to close 18 buildings is not going over well with City Council. One council member introduced legislation Thursday to change the zoning of all the schools in her district slated for closure, in hopes of changing the district’s plans.
All five schools on the closure list in Councilmember Jamie Gauthier’s district are zoned residential, so if they do close, housing could replace them. Gauthier said that gives the district an incentive to close them beyond educational considerations, something she thinks is inappropriate.
“The biggest priority in this facilities plan has to be students and communities, not land we would like to give over to developers,” she said.
Gauthier said her bills take that incentive out of the equation by reserving the property for “special purpose civic” use, shifting the focus back to educational priorities. This would be especially true for Robeson High School, which currently has the same dense zoning designation as Center City property and sits in the midst of the University City building boom.
“You do not get to plan the sale of a building while our children are still sitting in it, not on my watch,” Gauthier said.
She believes the entire closure plan needs some rethinking.
“The plan lacks thought and care for the most vulnerable communities in the third district and across the city.”
The plan, which is meant to address 70,000 empty seats and the need for millions in building repairs, is now in the hands of the School Board.
"I will not comment on the underlying bill or on the veracity of any commentary submitted during its introduction," the board president said in a statement to KYW Newsradio late Thursday night. "That said, the Board is grappling with fundamental questions about how we deploy our resources—particularly our physical footprint—which necessarily includes considerations such as grade band alignment, expanded access to high-quality extracurriculars, reducing disruptive transitions for families, and strengthening early childhood pathways into our schools. At the same time, we are working to move as many unsatisfactory buildings into satisfactory condition or better—an effort that requires significant, sustained investment. These are difficult but necessary conversations.
The underlying issue, however, is far more serious: an estimated $7–$8 billion in deferred maintenance and/or replacement costs of our current footprint, $300m in structural budget deficit, and shifting enrollment trends.
We continue to navigate these challenges in the most responsible and efficient manner. However, we can’t continue on with the status quo.”
Earlier this year, Superintendent Tony Watlington announced 20 schools would close under the district’s proposed master plan. Last month, Watlington removed two schools from the list: Conwell Middle and Motivation High. Instead, Elkin Elementary would become a Conwell feeder to boost enrollment. Motivation would merge with Robeson High, operating at the Motivation site.