20 Schools in Philadelphia Could Close Under District’s Updated Plan

The School District of Philadelphia announced a proposal that could close up to 20 schools across the city. Which schools could close? Scroll down to find out.

The proposal was shared under the district's Facilities Master Plan, which was released on Thursday. The plan, which has been "years in the making," will touch the majority of the district's buildings, according to a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer. They report that 159 buildings would be modernized.

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The proposal as you can imagine is being met with very mixed reactions from parents and educators across the region. The district, led by Superintendent Tony B. Watlington, however, says the plan it will help address the city's issues with aging facilities and some of the under and over enrollment issues they're facing across the city.

Which Philadelphia Schools Could Close?

The biggest takeaway from today's news is likely that as many as 20 schools could close entirely under the proposal.

Here's a look at that full list:

PreK-8 Schools:

• Robert Morris Elementary
• Samuel Pennypacker School
• John Welsh Elementary School
• James R. Ludlow School
• Laura W. Waring School
• Overbrook Elementary School
• Rudolph Blankenburg School
• Fitler Academics Plus

Middle Schools:

• General Louis Wagner Middle School
• Stetson Middle School
• Warren G. Harding Middle School
• William T. Tilden Middle School
• Academy for the Middle Years (AMY) at Northwest
• Russell Conwell Middle School

High Schools:

• Lankenau High School
• Motivation High School
• Paul Robeson High School
• Parkway Northwest High School
• Parkway West High School
• Penn Treaty High School

What's the Next Step for the Philly's Schools?

The next steps for proposal include a review by the city's school board. It will be officially presented to the board on February 26. But the exact timeline for a vote on the measure was not immediately Cleary. However, if the plan is approved, the closures would take place in 2027-28 school year. You can learn more about the full plan by clicking here. 

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Philadelphia's Teacher Union says they're waiting to see more granular details of the plan (including the list of which schools will be upgraded and how). But Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Arthur Steinberg went on to say that "“it is devastating for any community to lose their school — the parents, the kids and the staff." (via the Philly Inquirer).

Parents in some of the affected schools are expressing the same frustration and concerns as well.

If the measure is ultimately approved "transition teams" will work with the affected schools as students move across the city, the School District of Philadelphia says.