Organizers gathered in Germantown to call on Philadelphia City Council to use its control over funding to pressure the school district, asking members to withhold district dollars until there is a commitment to keep all schools slated for closure open.
Rev. Greg Holston of the 57 Block Coalition said the impact of school closures goes beyond education.
"The evidence shows that closing schools in areas like this increases the gun violence in those areas. It increases harm and danger for our community," Holston said.
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The group argues that schools serve as more than academic institutions, providing safe spaces, trusted adults and supervision for students. They say eliminating those resources could lead to unintended consequences, including increased violence.
"When you are talking about closing 17 schools, you are not talking about just closing schools; you are talking about really closing an entity that is a gun violence prevention center," Holston said.
The pushback follows the approval of the school district's Facilities Master Plan in April, which includes the closure of 17 schools. Opponents contend the proposal raises serious concerns about public safety in addition to its educational impact.
Holston said community members are calling for a strong response from elected leaders.
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"We are calling on our city council to respond in the strongest possible way against all of these school closures," he said.
Advocates also warned that forcing students to travel outside their neighborhoods could heighten tensions.
"Philadelphia is made up of a city of neighborhoods, so when you close one school and move those children to another neighborhood, you are definitely going to have some conflict in those neighborhoods. That has to be addressed," said Joe Budd of Men Who Care of Germantown.
Organizers referenced a wave of school closures in 2013, which they say contributed to increased gun violence and homicides. Their message to City Council is that public funding should not support decisions they believe could destabilize communities.
"We know for sure that if we can stop the school closures, we can actually save lives," Holston said.
In a statement, the School Board defended the plan, saying, "The Facilities Master Plan is a necessary, student-centered strategy -- to finally address aging buildings, a fluctuating student population, and chronic underfunding, ensuring our resources directly serve student success."
The board also said it plans to continue engaging with the community as the process moves forward.