School District to unload 50 schools and sell existing unused buildings

With only 67 percent occupancy in district buildings, the School District of Philadelphia announced last night plans to get rid of 50 buildings in the next three years, and sell its existing unused buildings.

The School Reform Commission laid out other plans at the nonvoting meeting, including consolidations and grade reconfigurations, though the facilities plan will do little to close the $629 million budget gap.

A report from the Inquirer shows 11,000 students have left the district in the last five years, and 10,000 more are expected to leave by 2014, lowering the number of students to 145,000.