Parents and students voiced their concerns about plans to close 18 schools in Philadelphia.

The Philadelphia School Board held a special town hall on Thursday, March 12 where over 100 people had signed up to express why they believe their school should remain open.

“This lousy plan has gotten so much push back, I don’t know why we’re even here,” one student said.

At the end of February, the district presented the board with their revised version of the Facilities Master Plan that would close 18 schools instead of the 20 originally proposed.

The $2.8 billion plan also modernizes 159 schools and merges some.

Superintendent Tony Watlington recently told NBC10’s Lauren Mayk that the plan is going to require some sacrifice and that the district had to make tough choices.

“This is my final recommendation to the board of education,” Watlington said, labeling the plan good but not perfect.

The district says that this is an opportunity to address poor school conditions and enrollment.

Some parents have said that the closures are not fair, saying that it will disrupt learning and cause instability while impacting some neighborhoods worse than others.

Students of all ages attended Thursday’s Philadelphia School Board meeting to advocate to keep their schools open. NBC10’s Miguel Martinez-Valle reports. 

On Thursday, March 12, students of all ages, some representing the 18 schools that are slated to close, showed up to the hours-long town hall in front of the Board of Education.

They carried posters and wore t-shirts advocating for education centers like Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School in Roxborough or Harding Middle School in Frankford.

For more details on the proposal, including information on which schools are set for closure, check out the School District of Philadelphia’s website on the plan here.

If approved, changes wouldn’t happen until 2027-2028.

The board has not specified when they’ll vote but there is an action meeting scheduled for March 26, 2026.

To submit feedback on the plan anonymously, click here for the district’s Community Comment Box.