PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As the School District of Philadelphia considers which of its schools to modernize, repurpose or close, it has launched a web tool detailing the conditions at each building.
The district has posted scores for more than 300 school buildings, grading each in four areas: the building’s physical condition, how much of its capacity is used, how well its space matches program offerings, and whether a school in that neighborhood has closed in the past.
District leaders stressed that no decisions on school closures have been made, and they cautioned against reading too much into individual school data.
“There are no fixed decisions at this point,” said Superintendent Tony Watlington Sr. “We can’t answer any of those questions right now about which schools will close, but we can surely say some will.”
“The data alone does not dictate the outcome of a school,” District Chief of Communications Alexandra Coppadge told reporters on Monday. “It is just a piece of a puzzle that will be part of a deeper analysis.”
The administration will use the data to develop recommendations on which schools should be maintained, modernized, consolidated, repurposed or closed. The district is expected to present its facilities recommendations to the school board in November, with a vote expected by the end of December.
Overall, more than one-third — 34% — of Philadelphia school buildings were rated as poor or unsatisfactory, with 22% listed as “excellent” or “good.”
The tool assessed 21% of Philly schools as “severely underutilized,” while 12% are “moderately or severely overcrowded.”
“Philadelphia has a significant problem with very underutilized schools and very over-enrolled schools. That will come as no surprise to anybody,” Watlington said.
On program alignment, 23% rated “poor” or “unsatisfactory,” with 36% listed as “excellent” or “good.” The district describes program alignment as having adequate spaces for its programs, such as art, athletics and music classes.
The district also listed 46% of its schools as “high risk” or “very high risk” in its neighborhood vulnerability category, which measures poverty and whether a school in that neighborhood has been previously closed.
“I understand the high emotions and the desire for quick answers — just tell me which schools are going to be modernized, tell me which schools are going to be co-located," Watlington said, snapping his fingers for emphasis. “We’re just not there yet.”