Members of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, along with representatives from four additional district employee unions, gathered outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters Thursday, Feb. 26.
School buses pulled up one after another along North Broad Street, unloading students who stepped onto the sidewalk holding handmade signs. One read, “Save our Schools” and another “Closing Schools is Trashy”.
“We’re still here, and we’re gonna stay here,” said Nicole Hunt, president of UNITE HERE local 634. “We don’t back down for nothing.”
They were there for a hearing that would determine the fate of more than 20 Philadelphia public schools that Superintendent Tony B. Watlington announced earlier this year were slated for closure as part of a new facilities master plan.
The school district meeting followed 47 community meetings held across the city in schools facing closure. After more than three months of public testimony, this hearing marked the first time district officials announced their updated master plan to the public.
“Misses the mark by a mile”
An hour before the meeting was slated to begin, the sidewalk filled with teachers in red shirts, students chanting in unison and parents holding posters. Local elected officials stood among them, including District 3 City Council Member Jamie Gauthier, whose district covers four of the proposed school closures. Television cameras from multiple media outlets lined the curb, capturing a protest that showcased the broad opposition to the district’s plan to close 20 neighborhood schools.
“I understand that Superintendent Watlington must take on the challenging task of improving our school facilities,” Gauthier said. “But the proposal being presented to the Board of Education today misses the mark by a mile.”
The rally preceded a Board of Education meeting that could determine the fate of 18 schools slated for closure in 2027, some of which have served their communities for nearly 100 years.
“Besides our students, no one has a bigger stake in making sure buildings are healthy and safe in the five school districts of Philadelphia than our unions,” said Arthur Steinberg, president of the PFT.
In total, five unions were present at the protest that consisted of teachers, security officers, and cafeteria employees. Alongside them were students, parents and community advocates who argued the district’s proposal would destabilize neighborhoods and displace vulnerable students.
“He wants to say that he has included public input,” said Diane Payne, a retired Philadelphia teacher. “The whole public is telling him to stop, and he’s not listening.”
A meeting past midnight
As the sun set, protesters filtered inside for the board meeting that began at 4 p.m.
The auditorium quickly reached capacity, with hundreds filling the main room and dozens more directed to an overflow space where the meeting was livestreamed onto a projector screen. In the overflow room, rows of folding chairs stretched wall-to-wall. Late arrivals stood in the back of the room, some leaning against the walls, others watching the livestream on their phones as they waited hours for public comment.
A total of 98 speakers testified to the board that evening. Students, parents and teachers lined up to testify and awaited their turn to talk in a meeting that stretched on past midnight.
“Dr. Waltington, you are breaking my heart,” said Amanda Chandler, a seventh-grade teacher at Warren G. Harding middle school. “As an educator, I always ask clear and specific questions, and I have yet to be given clear and specific answers.”
Board members largely listened without directly responding to individual comments. After hours of testimony and discussion, the meeting adjourned around 12:30 a.m. Friday.
Motivation High School will instead absorb students from Paul Robeson High School, which remains scheduled to close. The board has not set a date for the finalized plan. The next school board meeting will be on March 26.
“Lankenau Environmental Science Magnet High School is not just a place we attend; it is a place that prepares us for the future,” said Justice Ray, a sophomore. “Please do not sell this land.”
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