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The Philadelphia Board of Education has approved the district’s controversial facilities plan to close 17 schools following multiple meeting disruptions after the majority of City Council threatened to block the vote.
Board members voted 6 to 3 in favor of Superintendent Tony Watlington’s $3 billion plan to close 17 schools and modernize 169 others following a contentious meeting that was interrupted several times by protesters.
Protesters packed the Philadelphia School District board meeting to convince board member to vote against closing 17 schools in the city on April 30, 2026. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
The vote went ahead as scheduled Thursday afternoon despite bold actions from 10 council members earlier in the day who threatened legal action and to block the reappointment of any school board member who votes in favor of the plan.
“Understand what your vote will come with,” Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, chair of the Council’s education committee, said Thursday morning. “We will do everything in our legal power to put us in a position to sue you based on this decision and other issues that we know exist.”
Protesters from Lankenau Environmental High School urged Philadelphia School District Board Members to vote against closing 17 schools in the city. (Kimberly Paynter/WHYY)
Watlington’s plan has faced several revisions, with it initially calling for the closure of 20 schools. Critics argued that the plan would disproportionately impact Black students and move hundreds of students to lower-performing schools.
“What we have seen over the past few weeks is this board, which is appointed by the mayor, is not responsive to city council and not accountable to our communities,” Councilmember Kendra Brooks said.
Students and teachers joined a protest organized by council members outside the school district’s Broad Street headquarters ahead of Thursday’s 4 p.m. vote.