PHILADELPHIA – A newly proposed facilities master plan by Philadelphia School District Superintendent Tony Watlington received pushback Wednesday evening during a feedback session at Motivation High School in Southwest Philadelphia.

Community members objected to the proposal that would close the magnet school and send students to nearby Bartram High School. Student safety appeared to be a dominant concern among students, families, and community members.

“These kids will not have a chance in Southwest, it’s too much crime over there,” one member of the public said.

Under the proposal, Motivation High School would become a “swing space” and Bartram High School would be renovated. However, students and community members raised concerns about safety, lower graduation rates and higher suspension rates at Bartram as reasons to oppose the move. The district says it wants to reinvest in neighborhood high schools like Bartram based on community feedback, but some parents worry that effort could come at the expense of their students.

“It’s not a good fit for these kids,” said Motivation High parent Andy Reid of West Philadelphia.

One student said the proposed reassignment ignores families’ school choices.

“Bartram is on the application process and if I wanted to attend Bartram or any other neighborhood school I would have put that school on my list,” the student said.

Educators at Motivation echoed concerns about the potential impact on students.

“These are students that can excel and I’ve seen them excel and I fear that if we move to Bartram, we will lose some of these students,” said John Young, a teacher at Motivation High School.

The district is seeking feedback from communities most affected by the changes. The facilities master plan calls for modernizing 159 buildings, combining others and closing 20 schools, including Motivation High School. While Motivation’s enrollment is below capacity, the district says the recommendations are based on more than enrollment numbers alone and also take into account building conditions, including those rated poor or unsatisfactory.

Adam Northam, the School District of Philadelphia’s Deputy Chief is Internal Communications, said multiple factors were considered.

“The recommendations are based on more than just one data point. It’s a combination of things we’re considering with the ultimate goal of making sure we’re increasing access to these incredible programs for students all over the city,” Northam said.

He went on to say, “We’re coming out everywhere wanting to hear what people have to say. We’re taking it very seriously and we are open to making adjustments based on what we are hearing.”

The facilities master plan spans 10 years and carries a projected cost of $2.8 billion. It also includes donating some properties to the city for housing. The superintendent is scheduled to present the plan to the school board on Feb. 26, and community feedback sessions will continue until then.