The discovery of 23-year-old Kada Scott’s body near the grounds of a long-abandoned middle school in East Germantown is reigniting community outrage and putting new pressure on the School District of Philadelphia.

Ada H.H. Lewis Middle School has been closed since 2008. For years, neighbors say, it’s been a magnet for illegal dumping, crime and neglect, a symbol of what they see as the district turning its back on communities like theirs.

Now, following renewed public outcry, the district says Lewis is just one of 20 vacant school buildings across the city. Officials claim those sites are regularly monitored by facilities and school safety teams.

“Patrol protocols are designed to provide consistent visibility, deterrence, and rapid response capacity across all sites, including vacant ones,” the school district said in a statement. “This approach reinforces our commitment to safety coverage, risk mitigation, and responsible stewardship of district resources. Facilities works closely with School Safety for routine site checks and strategically allocates vendor and labor resources to maximize efficiency. The Ada H.H. Lewis campus was last checked on October 14th. No evidence of unauthorized activity was identified during that period.”

But for many neighbors, that reassurance isn’t enough.

“To tell you the God honest truth, I wish they would find something to do with the building,” said Tony, a Fairhill resident who lives across the street from another long-vacant campus, Fairhill Elementary School.

On Wednesday, CBS Philadelphia crews spotted district workers at Fairhill cutting grass and clearing trash from the perimeter. Tony said it was the first time he’s seen a cleanup in months.

“Knock it down and leave it as a park. Trees. Get rid of all these junky cars they keep bringing around here,” he said. “They don’t belong here anyway… but the city won’t do that.”

That frustration reflects broader criticism over the condition of vacant school properties, especially after police found Scott’s body in a wooded area behind the former Ada Lewis campus over the weekend. Investigators have not said whether she was killed at the site, but her death has drawn renewed scrutiny to how the district maintains these properties.

In response to CBS Philadelphia’s request for a list of all 20 vacant school buildings, the district has not yet provided that information. However, public records confirm Fairhill Elementary has been closed since June 2013.

Records from the Department of Licenses and Inspections show Fairhill was cited last year for code violations, including overgrown weeds, unsecured windows, trash and poor maintenance. The site failed inspection in August 2023 but passed following corrective work in November 2024.

CBS Philadelphia also spotted district vehicles outside two other shuttered campuses: George Wharton Pepper Middle School and the Bartram High School Annex in Southwest Philadelphia.

For Maria Rodriguez, Fairhill isn’t just an eyesore; it’s where she and her late husband sought refuge from the streets.

“I know what it is to be homeless, and I stay out here when I want to be close to my husband because this is where we were always at before he passed,” she said.

Rodriguez believes the building could be transformed into something the community truly needs.

“We need it out here,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a lot of homeless people out here that don’t know how to take care of themselves, don’t know where to go for help. A clinic here for us would be good.”

As city leaders and neighbors continue pushing for action, many say what’s needed most is lasting change, not just temporary cleanup.