With Wm. Penn High on chopping block, supporters to get their say
Wednesday, March 11th, 2009
By: Bill Hangley
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Opponents of the plan to close North Philadelphia's William Penn High School will get their say at a school district hearing this afternoon. District officials say these kinds of hearings are something Philadelphians should get used to.
Transcript:
District officials say they have little choice but to close William Penn High, where enrollment has dropped from 3,000 to under 600. Today's legally mandated hearing will give the schools supporters a chance to present an alternate plan. District spokesperson Felicia Ward says similar hearings could lie ahead for dozens of schools.
Ward: "If the community buys into it, then it's something that has a chance of being much more successful than if it's rammed down the throats of the people in the community. People will hopefully learn that there is a process, and that there are rights that are associated with being a parent or a student that's part of the district."
District officials say they're considering closing or transforming almost thirty struggling schools as part of a large scale reform. No word yet on exactly which schools will be affected.
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