Johnson called it a modern civil rights issue.
“We can debate a variety of issues. But in this society, the education of young people determines the quality of their lives,” he said.
Johnson said it was time for the General Assembly “to support our young people in the city of Philadelphia.”
He also reminded state officials that they had requested a facilities plan before providing additional funding. City and district officials approved a plan that includes school closings, consolidations and the construction of new schools to replace aging, deteriorating buildings.
Parker said students in Philadelphia understand they live in the birthplace of democracy, because their aging school buildings remind them nearly every day.
“[Lawmakers] are trying to convince our children that they need to learn to compete in the 21st-century global economy in schools that were built during the dinosaur [age],” Parker said. “That has to stop.”
The average Philadelphia public school building is over 70 years old, school officials told WHYY News in 2024, and many still lack adequate air conditioning.
Parker said the state should “double down” on the bipartisan state facilities grant program, increasing it to $250 million to help schools address capital funding needs.
“This matter is of urgent need right now. We cannot expect our children to compete in the era of AI … without funding,” she said.
The city also found funding to preserve 340 jobs over the next four years as part of its budget, and Johnson reminded officials that Philadelphia and the five surrounding counties provide “40% of the funding for the state budget.”