The Notebook

School facilities and closings

This page is the place to keep up with the facilities master planning process that was launched by the School District in 2010.

The District is compiling a comprehensive facilities master plan designed to "right-size" its physical plant. Officials say the goal is to maximize educational availability, quality, and equity. The plan will involve closing, consolidating, and selling schools. The District has estimated that it has as many as 70,000 empty seats in school buildings and would like to reduce that number significantly.

Decisions on how to manage these changes call for wide community dialogue and close collaboration between the School District and city government. State law mandates public input on decisions to close schools, including a public announcement, a public hearing and a 90-day window for comment before schols can be closed. But past school closing decisions have not always been preceded by a robust public discussion.

The Notebook is partnering with PlanPhilly to cover this process and inform and help foster that dialogue.

This coverage is supported by a grant from the William Penn Foundation.

Coverage of school facilities and closings

Stanton, Sheppard supporters see efforts to save their schools pay off

by Samantha Coggin Posted in Summer 2012 Edition | Permalink

When parents and supporters of E.M. Stanton Elementary in South Philadelphia and Sheppard Elementary in Kensington learned last summer that the District was considering shutting down their schools, they jumped into action.

Both schools mounted months-long campaigns to stay open – and they worked.

The School Reform Commission voted March 29 to shutter eight schools from the District's proposed closure list, but Stanton and Sheppard were spared.

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A community looks back on its efforts to save a neighborhood school

Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 04/10/2012 - 18:00 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

by Oscar Wang

The night before a crucial vote to find out whether E.M. Stanton Elementary School would stay open, Vicki Ellis reflected back on the weekend that started a nine-month effort to save the school.

June 25, 2011, was supposed to be a relaxing time for the students and teachers of Stanton. The school year had just ended the week before. Blue skies and 80-degree weather made for perfect days to kick off summer vacation.

But that was the weekend the Notebook published a confidential District document detailing preliminary school closure plans – and Stanton was on the list. That news sparked a campaign by Supporters of Stanton (SOS) of more than 36 straight weeks of meeting and lobbying, praying and mobilizing.

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Next steps in facilities master plan?

Submitted by Dale Mezzacappa on Wed, 04/04/2012 - 14:22 Posted in Latest news | Permalink

Somewhat lost in the jubilation last week when the School Reform Commission decided to save Stanton and Sheppard elementary schools were clear warnings that many more school closures are in the offing – and soon.