Local
Philadelphia Teachers Union Pitches $25M-a-Year Fix to Save 17 Schools From Closure
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers unveiled a plan Wednesday to repair and keep open 17 schools slated for closure, arguing it can be done with existing city and state funds at a fraction of the district's $3 billion facilities price tag.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers on Wednesday rolled out a proposal to keep open 17 school buildings the district has slated for closure, arguing the repairs can be paid for with money the city and state have already appropriated rather than through borrowing or a midyear budget fight.
The union, which represents nearly 15,000 educators in the School District of Philadelphia, presented the plan at a news conference. It arrives about six months after the city's school board approved a $3 billion facilities master plan that calls for shutting 17 schools across Philadelphia.
"The money is there," PFT President Arthur Steinberg said, describing the union's approach as one that "preserves the status quo." Union leaders said their plan would require no capital borrowing and no midyear budget ordinance.
At the center of the proposal is a set of basic conditions the union says every school building should meet. Jerry Roseman, the union's environmental director, said the district should be able to answer "yes" to four questions about any school: Is my building clean? Is it safe? Is it dry? Is it comfortable?
The union estimates that annual investments over the next several years could bring all 17 schools into "good" condition by 2031. The first year would cost about $25 million, with similar sums in the years that follow â a figure union leaders say is far below the $3 billion price tag attached to the district's master facilities plan.
The announcement comes as enrollment has fallen sharply this academic year. The union said the decline was anticipated after the board's vote to close the 17 schools, and it hopes its alternative plan will draw some families back to the district.
Union members also used the news conference to appeal directly to Mayor Cherelle Parker, urging her to step in and halt the closures. "We need your positive vision for the city to extend to the school district as well," Steinberg said.
The School District of Philadelphia said it was preparing a response to the union's proposal. The union said a full copy of the plan would be available by Thursday.
The debate over the buildings carries high stakes for neighborhoods across the city, where school closures can ripple through families, enrollment patterns and the condition of aging facilities that advocates say have long needed repair. The union's proposal reframes the choice as one of maintenance and annual investment rather than a single, sweeping facilities overhaul.