Philadelphia Schools Holding Public Forums About Closure Decisions

Public meetings started this month as Philadelphia school officials seek input about future building closures. Through July, the district plans both in-person and virtual sessions to gather thoughts from families, educators, and neighbors.

"Schools have to close. I understand that. You can see that there are some buildings that can be brought back to life and reused, so a neighborhood that has been through closure doesn't necessarily mean a death knell," Keith Harris, a West Philly resident, told Fox 29.

The district aims to sidestep the problems of the 2012 closures that struck communities hard. Oz Hill, Deputy Superintendent of School Operations, stressed the value of public input. "We wanted to ensure that we don't commit those shortfalls and create challenges for the school community, students and families that we serve," he said.

Small groups meet to voice worries about specific sites. The setup works well for sharing local knowledge. "Each of us have our perspective of the area of the city that we're in or our background, so it's been helpful to have that combination of experiences at the table evaluating the different schools," said Cynthia Geesey, who teaches at Lakenau High.

Yet some locals remain skeptical. Barbara Dowdall spoke of past shutdowns near her: "We lost our high school in Germantown in the middle of the community. It shut down, was empty for 10 years. Fulton School next to that was closed."

The final plan will be presented in December. The district website lists all meeting times. Sessions run both online and in person until July ends.