Vote on Philadelphia school closures canceled by Board of Education

“Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system. The Philadelphia Board of Education will not vote on the district’s sweeping school closure proposal Thursday as previously planned, the board announced. Board Chief of Staff Sithi Bucciarelli said in a statement Thursday afternoon the board will now meet April 30 to consider the resolution that includes the closures. The board will still meet on Thursday at 4 p.m., as scheduled, to consider other business not related to the closures, Bucciarelli said. On Monday, the board announced the plan to close 17 schools beginning in 2027 would be on Thursday’s school board meeting agenda. The reversal comes roughly two hours before that meeting was set to begin. The resolution included changes to the facilities plan that the district had not shared previously, including removing one school from the closure list. It also included modernizing nearly 170 other schools. In the last few days, members of the City Council have pushed Superintendent Tony Watlington and Board President Reginald Streater to delay the vote. During two days of tense hearings on education spending, elected officials told school leaders the facilities plan as written has major flaws. Councilmembers and educators also said the plan’s timeline has been rushed, which meant many people did not have time to review the plan or reschedule their weeks to attend the meeting. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents parts of West and Southwest Philadelphia, told Watlington and Streater during a Wednesday hearing that delaying the vote would show they were working in “true partnership towards the benefit of our kids.” On several occasions during the hearing, Education Committee Chair Isaiah Thomas asked Streater directly if he would delay the vote. But Streater said he could not make that decision unilaterally and would have to consult with other board members. All 17 councilmembers signed a letter dated Thursday requesting that the board postpone the vote until its May 28 meeting, at the earliest. The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers also harshly critiqued the district’s quick timeline for the scheduled vote. On April 30, the board will only consider the facilities plan vote and a resolution related to issuing bonds. “We recognize that the future of our school facilities is a matter of significant interest that requires the highest level of collaboration,” said Board President Reginald Streater in a Thursday statement. “In the spirit of partnership, we are taking this time to ensure our stakeholders understand the proposal” before the Board votes. This story has been updated to reflect that the Board of Education still plans to meet April 23. Chalkbeat Philadelphia Bureau Chief Carly Sitrin contributed to this story. 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 .

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