During a crowded hearing Tuesday at Philadelphia City Council, the biggest question that emerged was: Why are more than a dozen schools in the city at risk of closing? 

As it stands now, the answer is a $2.8 billion plan over 10 years that would modernize aging infrastructure at 159 schools. The district would also close 20 schools in the coming years under the proposal. 

Superintendent Tony Watlington said the plan would help the district better use its buildings, cut down on transitions between schools, create more opportunities for career and technical education and more. 

Watlington said he understands the plan is not perfect but that the district needs to do something to improve outcomes for students. 

“In order to drive more high-quality academic and extracurricular programs into every neighborhood, into every zip code across the city of Philadelphia, we’ve got to make some decisions about how we’re using our limited resources,” Watlington said.

“We know under our current footprint, it would be governmental malpractice to continue to engage … in a system constructed the way it is expecting different results. And our children deserve better,” Board of Education President Reginald Streater said.

Councilmembers peppered the district with questions. They raised concerns over transportation, including how students who normally walk to a school that would close would get to another one, and about closures at particular schools such as Conwell, Robeson and Lankenau. They also asked questions about how the district selected which schools would close.

Councilmembers, teachers and parents said they feel this process is moving too fast. 

“From Day 1 we’ve been asking about a facilities plan. It’s taken us all this time. Now you guys have come up with a plan, and now we’re going to rush through it. Now all of a sudden, there’s this sense of urgency,” Councilmember Quetcy Lozada said.

“If they’ve been working on this for such a long time, why the rush? They released the plan Jan. 22, and Feb. 26, it has to be presented to the board. But they’re not getting all the feedback from the community,” said Beth Ann Dufner, a teacher at Harding Middle School.

Watlington said the district is still taking in feedback from lawmakers and the community, but the plan is still to present a final recommendation to the Board of Education at its Feb. 26 meeting.

However, Streater, the board president, said it will not vote on the plan at that time. 

The school board has final say on a plan, but as many councilmembers pointed out, council still has influence because it controls a good portion of the district’s budget.  

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