{"id":105103,"date":"2026-02-04T17:49:10","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/105103\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T17:49:10","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T17:49:10","slug":"philadelphias-new-school-closure-plan-brings-back-harsh-memories","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/105103\/","title":{"rendered":"Philadelphia\u2019s new school closure plan brings back harsh memories"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia\u2019s free newsletter<\/a> to keep up with the city\u2019s public school system.<\/p>\n

When Danielle Edwards, 19, heard her alma mater, Paul Robeson High School, is on the list of schools the School District of Philadelphia wants to close, she messaged former classmates she\u2019s still in touch with. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat was my first school that I actually loved,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

The district released plans last month to close 20 schools<\/a>, including Robeson, as part of an effort to address problems with school facilities and declining enrollment. It wants to move students from Robeson into William L. Sayre High School as an honors program.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a familiar and painful challenge for Robeson.<\/p>\n

In 2013, a state-appointed board closed 24 schools in a contentious decision that drew months of protests. Robeson was initially on the list of schools to be closed, but it narrowly escaped that fate after intense pushback from the community. <\/p>\n

Back in 2013, the fight to keep schools open was fierce. Teachers, students, advocates, and political leaders formed human chains, phone banked, shut down Broad Street, and swamped public meetings demanding their schools be left alone. Mayor Cherelle Parker, then a state representative, called on the City Council<\/a> to keep one school in her district from closing.<\/p>\n

\"AThe outside of West Philadelphia University City High School in 2013. (Courtesy of Temple U Archive) <\/p>\n

For some schools, it worked. More than a dozen schools originally on the closure list ended up staying open and continued educating students for more than a decade.<\/p>\n

But now, four schools or buildings that the district initially planned to close 13 years ago are back on the closure list: Robeson, Robert Morris School, Overbrook Elementary, and Lankenau High School. Mayor Parker has come out in support of the plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Without the same level of community pushback so far, advocates say they\u2019re worried they may not be able to muster the support to save them again. And this time around, they have to convince members of a school board who have different aims and political influences from the several state-appointed board members of 2013. <\/p>\n

District officials say they\u2019ve learned key lessons from the 2013 closures when it comes to tradeoffs and consequences, and that the plan will ultimately benefit students when it comes to learning and early learning. <\/p>\n

\"AThe outside of West Philadelphia University City High School in 2013. (Courtesy of Temple U Archive) <\/p>\n

The district plans to present its plan to the board, which will determine which schools to close, on Feb. 26. A vote will come sometime afterwards. <\/p>\n

Longtime Robeson teacher Andrew Saltz, who protested the last round of school closures, said he plans to try to save Robeson once again. <\/p>\n

A lot in his life has changed since the last protests. He\u2019s older, and has children. Still, he said, he\u2019s finding the energy to fight the closure plan again; he\u2019s said he\u2019s heard from freshmen who are scared about where they\u2019ll go to school if Robeson closes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the right thing to do,\u201d said Saltz. \u201cSo, OK, let\u2019s get it going.\u201d<\/p>\n

School leaders say different forces are driving school closures<\/p>\n

Just like for Saltz, a lot has changed for the city and its schools since 2013. <\/p>\n

The mayor and city council now determine who sits on the school board, rather than some members being appointed by the state. Superintendent Tony Watlington, who joined the district in 2022, has stressed that the perspectives of teachers, families, and community members will help shape a new facilities plan.<\/p>\n

Still, there\u2019s an expensive and persistent challenge: repairing old school buildings and operating schools with fewer students. District enrollment has declined, leaving some schools \u2014 including two of the four on the closure list for the second time \u2014 more than half empty. Old buildings have further deteriorated. During this winter\u2019s cold snap, the heat in several classrooms did not work properly<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"AnA view of the demolition zone of University City High School in 2013. (Courtesy of Temple U Archive) <\/p>\n

In 2013, the School Reform Commission that controlled the city\u2019s schools cared largely about saving money. The district was cash-strapped and laid off nearly 4,000 employees<\/a> before the first day of school.<\/p>\n

District enrollment was also rapidly declining at the time \u2014 though for different reasons than it is today. In the years before the closures, the School Reform Commission had ceded district schools to charter organizers<\/a> and approved other charter schools to open in the city. <\/p>\n

But since control of Philly schools returned to the city at the end of 2017, district enrollment has declined largely because of falling birth rates. More Philadelphia students also now attend cyber charters. <\/p>\n

Researchers found that some students\u2019 academic performance took a hit after the 2013 closures, and absences increased for students who were displaced. Several school buildings were also left empty and deteriorating. And communities\u2019 trust with school leaders was fractured for years.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was not worth the cost,\u201d Deputy Superintendent Oz Hill told families<\/a> in late 2024.<\/p>\n

We’re here to help.<\/p>\n

Every day, Chalkbeat Philadelphia reporters are answering your questions, following the money, and digging into what’s happening in the city’s public schools. Keep up with our free newsletter, delivered every Wednesday and Friday morning.<\/p>\n

School leaders say the new proposal to close 20 schools and co-locate and relocate others is meant to provide more opportunities for students and families, like increased access to pre-kindergarten and AP classes. It also would result in students no longer attending school in buildings the district deems unsatisfactory. <\/p>\n

But many say they\u2019re worried the same harms stemming from the 2013 closures could happen again. The plan would move hundreds of students to lower-performing schools<\/a> and disproportionately affect Black students<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Protests against some of the proposals have already begun. Some members of the City Council have spoken out against the plan, calling on the district to change which schools it plans to close. <\/p>\n

Viery Ricketts-Thomas, a block captain<\/a> in Overbrook, said she feels shocked the neighborhood\u2019s elementary school could be closed. <\/p>\n

Since 2013, the school has gotten a new principal, Kenneth Glover, who has launched initiatives to partner with community groups to build a new schoolyard<\/a> and attract more Black teachers who reflect the student body<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Though Overbook\u2019s building is rated as poor, the school is enrolled at nearly 80% capacity, according to district data. Its students\u2019 math and reading scores on state tests have also improved over the past three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cRight now the school is thriving,\u201d said Ricketts-Thomas. \u201cThese are kids you\u2019re displacing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"ATeachers, students and advocates with Stand Up Philly Schools protest planned facilities closures on Thurs., Jan. 29, 2026 outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters. (Sammy Caiola \/ Chalkbeat) Why fighting school closures might be harder now<\/p>\n

Philadelphia teacher Jon Hoffmeier has fond memories of his two years teaching at University City High School. It was his first full teaching job in the city, and he loved how students had space for soccer practice and football practice.<\/p>\n

The school closed in 2013. When Hoffmeier drives by the school\u2019s old address, he now sees a parking garage. \u201cIt\u2019s an absolute shame,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Hoffmeier was one of hundreds of teachers who had to move schools after the last round of closure. Now at Lankenau High School, he and other teachers are already fighting to keep the school open. They\u2019ve launched a petition, made posters, and organized a rally at their school. <\/p>\n

But not all schools are mounting the same response. Julia McWilliams, co-director of the urban studies program at the University of Pennsylvania, said the energy ahead of the 2013 closures felt different. <\/p>\n

Advocates had been rallying for years against the School Reform Commission, and some were already organized across neighborhoods, she said. Schools bussed dozens of students to commission meetings and some groups threatened lawsuits.<\/p>\n

Civil action intensified. Students at the now-closed Carroll High School in Port Richmond formed a \u201chuman chain\u201d<\/a> around their school in protest. The night the School Reform Commission read the final list of closing schools, a group of protestors blocked the entrance to the meeting and 19 were arrested<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"ALankenau High School juniors Tyrone Ware (right) and Niyasia Bounds say they don’t know what they would do if their school closes, as the district has proposed. (Rebecca Redelmeier \/ Chalkbeat) <\/p>\n

Today, McWilliams said she worries there are fewer groups ready to call for changes, and many people may not have time or energy to put toward the cause. Some are busy with other issues, like organizing for immigrants\u2019 rights. And many people may feel less passionate about protecting public education.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat I\u2019m seeing is just people don\u2019t have a lot of confidence in public schools, because of what algorithms are telling them, because of what happened during COVID, because of the ways the teachers unions didn\u2019t want to go back in-person,\u201d said McWilliams. \u201cPeople pulled their kids out and just never sent them back.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, for some who plan to fight the closures, the new environment could fuel their motivation. With the city in control of its own schools, they say it\u2019s vital for school leaders to keep many of the schools proposed for closure open to avoid repeating the mistakes of 2013.<\/p>\n

Saltz, the Robeson teacher, remembers that ahead of the 2013 closures, it felt like \u201ceveryone already hated\u201d the state-controlled School Reform Commission that oversaw city schools. <\/p>\n

This time, he said it feels like the city is turning on its own schools.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that made it more depressing,\u201d said Saltz of the current closure plan. \u201cBecause you thought this school board would be different.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that affect students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Sammy Caiola covers solutions to gun violence in and around Philadelphia schools. Have ideas for her? Get in touch at scaiola@chalkbeat.org.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia\u2019s free newsletter to keep up with the city\u2019s public school system. When Danielle…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":105104,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[7623,69,71,70,7625,4525,16381,50798,50797],"class_list":["post-105103","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-philadelphia","tag-chalkbeat","tag-philadelphia","tag-philadelphia-headlines","tag-philadelphia-news","tag-philly","tag-protest","tag-school-closures","tag-uchs","tag-university-city-high-school"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105103","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=105103"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/105103\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/105104"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=105103"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=105103"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=105103"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}