School buildings throughout the School District of Philadelphia are deteriorating and some will likely be closed.
This isn't new.
With more than 300 buildings under its purview, the School District of Philadelphia recently began its final phase -- phase eight -- of a facilities planning process that could see schools throughout the city shuttered, renovated, repurposed or co-mingled.
Yet, while some buildings may be facing shutdowns, others will be refurbished, repaired and renovated and, on Tuesday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker joined State Senator Vincent Hughes (D-7th dist.), to celebrate a new influx of funding intended to do just that.
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"We can't have students, teachers and administrators going into school buildings with leaking roofs, unreliable bathrooms," she said. "We want our children to love going to school and not dread walking into the buildings."
On Tuesday, at West Philly's Martha Washington Elementary School, Parker celebrated an influx of $16.77 million from the state's Public School Faclilty Improvement Grant Program.
The funds are part of $175 million in state grants set aside for improvement projects at schools throughout Pennsylvania.
In Philadelphia, the funding will be broken down to help afford improvement projects for seven schools:
- Blaine Elementary School- $2,981,925 for Window and Door Replacement Project
- Cayuga Elementary School- $815,739 for Roof Replacement Project
- Childs Elementary School- $1,153,827 Bathroom Renovation Project
- Francis Hopkinson School- $821,239 for Roof Replacement Project
- Martha Washington Elementary School- $1,463,982M for Bathroom Renovation Project
- Overbrook High School- $5,000,000 for Auditorium Renovation Project; $3,650,346 for Roof Replacement Project
- Thomas A. Edison High School- $889,049 for Culinary Ventilation System Replacement Project
“This is a significant investment to fix crumbling and toxic schools in Philadelphia,” said Senator Vincent Hughes, in a statement on the funding. “I’ve toured schools in the city that have leaks, visible mold on the walls, and old, outdated heating and air conditioning equipment. Many of our schools have had to close because it was too hot for anyone to be in the building. This funding will alleviate a lot of those issues and provide healthier learning environments for our students, teachers, and school administrators.”
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