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Philadelphia District Unveils 10-Year, $2.8 Billion Plan Proposing 20 School Closures

The proposal now goes to the Board of Education, with implementation contingent on securing roughly $1.8 billion in outside funding.

Overview

  • - The plan would affect roughly 30,000 students, including nearly 5,000 at schools slated for closure and about 2,800 moved through co-locations or relocations.
  • - Over a decade, 159 buildings would be modernized, 122 maintained, six schools co-located, and one new building constructed, with 12 closed sites repurposed for district use and eight transferred to the city.
  • - Closures would not begin before the 2027–28 school year, with a public presentation set for Feb. 26 and a board vote expected this winter.
  • - District leaders pledge to retain teachers and principals in good standing, create transition teams, and avoid reassigning students to buildings rated poor or unsatisfactory.
  • - Political backlash was immediate, including a proposal to let City Council remove school board members, as lawmakers and union leaders questioned the process and community impacts.