Councilwoman Bass says Philadelphia school closings proposal ‘just the start of the conversation’

December 13, 2012

A gated side entrance of Roosevelt Elementary. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Students arriving at Roosevelt Elementary on Washington Lane the day it was announced that the school was among 37 that could soon close. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
In Oct. 2010, Fulton Elementary hosted President Obama. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Two young students walking to Robert Fulton Public School on Thursday morning. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Students and parents outside the Robert Fulton School on Haines Street in Germantown, on the day that it appeared on a list of schools slated for closing or consolidation. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
The sign outside the school could be empty next year. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Lelea Lewis is a tenth grade student at Germantown High School. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
GHS staffers and parents are seen walking near the school. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Germantown High School Principal Margaret Mullen-Bavwidinsi leaves for a meeting at School District headquarters on Thursday without commenting on the news. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Outside Fulton School. (Bas Slabbers/for NewsWorks)
Students from Roosevelt Middle School would be transitioned to Leeds. (Yasmein James/for NewsWorks)
On Thursday, the School District of Philadelphia proposed a plan which could see 44 schools either closed or relocated to other facilities. John L. Kinsey Elementary in West Oak Lane is among those that could close. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Word was just getting out about the projected school closure when children were arriving for classes on Thursday. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Running to class. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Elvita Williams and her son, second grader Shakur Lewis, outside of John L. Kinsey Elementary West Oak Lane. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Father and children arrive at Kinsey on Limekiln Pike on Thursday. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Despite the looming school-closures controversy, it was head-to-school business as usual in West Oak Lane on Thursday. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
A elementary school in Philadelphia (Brad Larrison/for WHYY)
Students en route to Thursday morning classes at West Oak Lane's John L. Kinsey Elementary, which the district announced it intends to close at year's end. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Bernetta Gordon reads a flyer given out by a concerned parent while waiting for her two children, a fifth grader and a kindergartener, at the end of the school day at John F. McCloskey School in Northwest Philadelphia. Gordon said she felt unsure about the school district's recommendation to close the school. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
The grandmother of two McCloskey students holds a flyer given out by a concerned parent after the end of school hours Thursday. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
Jakair Swann, a sixth grader at John F. McCloskey School in Northwest Philadelphia, says he's not sure why his school may be closed. " We made AYP[Adequate Yearly Progress] every year." and " a lot of great students go here." (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)
A sign outside of John L. Kinsey School in North Philadelphia reads, "Kinsey Proud." The school could close at the end of the school year. (Brad Larrison/for NewsWorks)

After weeks of speculation, the School District of Philadelphia has identified 37 schools which, as part of a sweeping plan, could be closed at the end of this school year.

The list includes six schools in Northwest Philadelphia, most notably Germantown High School, which has been a neighborhood mainstay since it was built in 1914.

All told, the district will call for 44 district schools to be closed or relocated and about two dozen more to undergo grade changes.

District councilwoman response

In Northwest Philadelphia, the schools slated to close are Germantown High, Theodore Roosevelt Middle School and Robert Fulton Elementary, which are located in Germantown.

Also on the list are John F. McCloskey and John L. Kinsey elementaries in West Oak Lane and Jay Cooke Elementary in Logan.

Three of those schools are located in Eighth District City Councilwoman Cindy Bass’ area. Through a spokesman, she expressed concern to NewsWorks about the announcement on Thursday.

“The school district’s announcement of proposed school closings in the 8th District is disturbing, but we recognize that this is just the beginning of the conversation,” Bass spokesman Joseph Corrigan told NewsWorks. “We also understand that Dr. Hite is new to Philadelphia and has been handed an uneven deck of cards by the Corbett administration.”

This announcement was seen, by Bass, as speaking to a need for local control of city schools, underscoring “the call for a better funding structure to ensure that our students receive a quality and competitive education.”

“In the coming weeks,” Corrigan continued, “the councilwoman will be holding public meetings throughout the district to hear the concerns of parents and stakeholders, as we seek to hear thoughts, concerns and suggestions.”

How word spread

Superintendent William Hite emailed the long list of recommendations to District personnel early Thursday morning.

The 12-page document, obtained and published by other media outlets, names a total of 44 schools that will be closed or relocated as part of the district’s ongoing Facilities Master Plan, an effort aimed, in part, at plugging a massive budget hole.

More details will be made public during a 2 p.m. press conference at district headquarters.