Philadelphia teachers union challenges school closure plan
PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers on Tuesday released its own analysis of the School District of Philadelphia's facilities master plan, offering alternative recommendations and questioning the justification for proposed school closures.
The union said it reviewed plans for 16 of the 17 schools slated for closure and found insufficient evidence to support shutting down buildings such as Overbrook Elementary, where union leaders held a news conference.
READ MORE | Philadelphia School Board votes to pass controversial $3 billion facilities master plan
"This school, Overbrook Elementary, is probably one of the poster childs for what is wrong with this process," said PFT President Arthur Steinberg.
The union argues the district is overstating building capacity, which it says makes schools appear more underenrolled than they actually are. PFT leaders also said some schools proposed for closure are in better condition than the buildings that would receive displaced students.
The union says its conclusions are based on public information, but also claims the school district has not been transparent or provided additional data when requested.
"We looked at what the district said, but we couldn't figure out where those capacity numbers came from," said Jerry Roseman, the union's director of environmental science.
The district's $3 billion facilities master plan calls for the closure of 17 schools, the modernization of 169 buildings and the merging of six others. The plan was approved on April 30 in a 6-3 vote following a lengthy and contentious school board meeting.
The union said the plan raises more questions than answers and is urging district leaders to provide clearer justification for the closures.
The School District of Philadelphia has not yet responded to the union's report.
While students and staff would not be affected until the 2027-28 school year, the union says any planning underway right now should be paused, and the district should take an "keep and improve" approach instead.
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