Philadelphia councilwoman wants city hearings on school closings

The School Reform Commission will hold public hearings on plans to close nine public schools in Philadelphia.  A city councilwoman wants to host more of them.

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell says Council hearings on the school closures would help the new members of the School Reform Commission get to know council.

“We have a new board a new executive director and superintendent and we want them to realize that communities have opinions, communities want inclusion and if you do it here down in the people’s building then we really get a chance at the beginning at their term for them to know how we feel and the public feels,” said Blackwell.

Blackwell says having an open hearing process could help build public support for the plan.

“I’m not assuming we will have problems on this but you just don’t know because you didn’t have meetings in advance,” she said.

A date for the hearing has not been set.