As heat prompts early dismissals, Philly lawmakers call for more funds for public school facilities

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On Monday, the first day of school, U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle, D., who represents the 2nd District, called for more federal funding to address the deteriorating conditions in city public school facilities, highlighting issues such as a lack of air conditioning, poor ventilation and asbestos contamination.

Boyle was joined at Thomas K. Finletter Academics Plus School on North Front St. in Olney, by School Superintendent Tony Watlington; state Rep. Anthony Bellmon, who represents the 203rd District; and City Councilmember Anthony Phillips, who represents the 9th District; American Federation of Teachers president Randi Weingarten; Arthur Steinberg, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers (PFT); and Nicole Hunt, president of UnitedHere! Local 634.

“When we are talking about school facilities that are well over 100 years old, it’s only Washington, D.C. that has the resources to meet the enormity of these challenges,” Boyle said. “I am repeating my call that a number of us have for the federal government to do more for our school facilities.”

“If a kid is in a classroom, it’s pretty hard to learn when you can feel the temperature, at either extreme,” Boyle said. “We have to do more.”

According to Watlington, the average age of public school buildings is 75, and a number of them are 100-plus years old.

This summer, Watlington said 199 schools were retrofitted with air conditioning. But 63 still lack adequate air conditioning.

This week, city temperatures are forecast to reach 85 degrees and up.

“We unfortunately have to send kids home early,” said Watlington, who agreed with Boyle that the federal government has a role to play in fixing school facilities.

As temperatures climbed near 90 degrees during the day, the district said it would let some schools out early on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Steinberg, the PFT president said that conditions are so challenging in the Philadelphia School District that it created a computer application to help its members navigate the problems at its schools.

“Our working conditions are the kids’ learning conditions,” Steinberg said.

Boyle praised the Biden-Harris administration, saying, “We have made remarkable success.”

For example, Boyle praised bipartisan legislation such as the Infrastructure Act, the American Rescue Act and the Safe Schools Act, which he described as the “greatest investment in infrastructure since the 1950s. Elections matter and elections have consequences.”

On Tuesday, Nov. 5, general election voters will choose between Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump, who is the Republican nominee for president.

Watlington noted that federal pandemic relief funds pumped about $1.1 billion into the school district over several years, which it used to complete 61 capital projects including roof replacements, HVAC system upgrades and other improvements. Some 147 classrooms across 11 schools were modernized.

In addition, a number of environmental issues, including asbestos abatement were addressed.

Watlington said the district used the money on intensive efforts to improve academic achievement post-pandemic and increase graduation rates and lower drop-out rates.

He cited a study by Harvard and Stanford Universities that showed the pandemic relief funding led to significant academic progress in math and reading after the pandemic lockdowns during the 2022-23 school year.

“The school district of Philadelphia had the best third- through eighth-grade math recovery performance among the major cities,” Watlington said. “On the third- through eighth-grade reading side, this school district had the second-best rebound scores, to Chicago.”

“We know in the past years that student attendance has gone up,” he said. “Four-year graduation rates have gone up. “We know that the number of kids dropping out of school has gone down. We are really excited about it.”