While the School District of Philadelphia’s budget cuts have caused many schools to close, the problems brought unity to one West Philadelphia neighborhood. When Alexander Wilson Elementary School closed last school year, most students were sent to
Penn Alexander School’s kindergarten waitlist ended this year, changing to a contested lottery. Traditionally, parents had waited in line for days to register. School District Superintendent William Hite made the change within days of becoming
The Alexander Wilson grade school on Woodland Avenue closed earlier this year along with 23 other Philadelphia public schools. Students were absorbed into the Henry C. Lea School on 47th Street, along with Principal Sonya Harrison,
One major, yet underexamined, issue in the publicly contentious process of closing schools is the psychological impact on young children. More than half of the schools that are slated to close at the end of
https://vimeo.com/44849427] For a public school built in 1914, it comes as no surprise the building doesn’t have a modern look, but the inside of the Henry C. Lea Elementary School in West Philadelphia is also
https://vimeo.com/44868367] Though located along the same street and just five blocks separate them, Penn Alexander and Henry C. Lea Elementary Schools in West Philadelphia couldn’t be more different. Penn Alexander opened in 2001 and its
