PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As adults continue to express their concerns over facilities and budgets, 113,000 kids in the Philadelphia School District began a new school year on Monday.
Back to school as closures loom
Traditions were renewed and budding friendships began as 400 students at McClure Elementary School, a 115-year-old school in Hunting Park, gathered in the newly renovated courtyard for a first-day-of-school kickoff.
“We’re in the process of being remodernized, and they were working on the building, fixing things up,” said principal Luis Garcia.
The district is moving ahead with a facilities plan that would close 17 schools starting next year and modernize dozens of others. While there is continued opposition, School Board President Reginal Streater said the district has a $7 billion backlog of deferred maintenance.
“Every minute that we wait and delay, that’s another school that falls into further disrepair with old, antiquated systems that require replacing or fixing,” he said. “We are in a transition year. The board passed the resolution and the football is back in district hands.”
Meanwhile, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Art Steinberg said the union is coming up with an alternative facilities plan that avoids closing schools.
Kensington High students relocate
More than 400 students at Kensington High School started classes at a different building because of asbestos. Students are being shuttled to the former Austin Meehan Middle School in Mayfair, about 7 miles away, as crews work to remediate asbestos at the high school.
A judge on Friday turned down an attempt to block the relocation.
Austin Meehan Middle is on the other side of Lincoln High School. A father of a Lincoln High student sued the district, claiming that having students from two high schools so close together would be a security concern.
School officials said Kensington High students who get curb-to-curb drop-off will still receive that mode of transportation. Others will need to get to Kensington High between 6:45 and 7 a.m. to board shuttles. Those shuttles will depart Meehan around 2:15 p.m.
The high school will be closed at least for the first half of the academic year.
New bus routes
Big changes to SEPTA bus routes took effect the day before the first day of school. The first phase of SEPTA’s New Bus Network affects about 30 bus routes. Two routes were added, six were extended, and seven routes were discontinued.
Philadelphia students can ride SEPTA for free on the first two days of school, Aug. 24 and 25, if they have not already picked up their student fare cards. The cards are valid for up to eight trips per school day between 5:30 a.m. and 8 p.m. on all SEPTA routes, including the Regional Rail.
Read more about SEPTA’s New Bus Network here.
School zone speed cameras in effect
As the school year gets underway, drivers are reminded of speed cameras in effect in four school zones.
The cameras have been installed on Alleghany Avenue near John Stetson Middle School, on Olney Avenue near Widener Memorial School, on Girard Avenue near the High School of the Future, and on Walnut Street near William Sayre High School.
The Philadelphia Parking Authority said it chose these areas based on crash data from 2019 to 2023. There were dozens of crashes outside these schools during that time period, including one that was fatal.
The cameras are already in full effect. There’s no warning period, as the cameras were activated during a testing phase this past April.
