{"id":3257,"date":"2026-07-28T20:44:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:44:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3257"},"modified":"2026-07-28T20:44:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T20:44:56","slug":"city-council-is-pushing-the-philly-school-board-to-come-back-to-the-negotiating-table-on-school-closings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3257","title":{"rendered":"City Council is pushing the Philly school board to come back to the negotiating table on school closings"},"content":{"rendered":"<div><div><div><audio><\/audio><\/div><\/div><p>City Council on Tuesday renewed its call for officials to amend their plan to shut 17 Philadelphia schools, saying it\u2019s been more than a month since talks broke down over removing schools from the closing list.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3255\">Jersey Shore-set comedy \u2018Wildwood\u2019 in development at FX from \u2018Derry Girls\u2019 creator<\/a><\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cWe\u2019re here to basically beg the school board to come back to the negotiating table, and let\u2019s come up with a plan that we can work with,\u201d City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said at a news conference at City Hall. <\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>He was joined by six other Council members \u2014 Anthony Phillips, Jamie Gauthier, Curtis Jones, Quetcy Lozada, Nina Ahmed and Mark Squilla.<\/p><div><\/div><div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n<div>\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"128\" height=\"128\" alt=\"The Inquirer logo\" class=\"wp-image-47\" src=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/faba80d67140212ba32240655442c529.png\"\/><\/figure>\n\n<\/div>\n        Read more about the facilities plan\n      <\/div>\n<div>\n<p>Wholesale changes are coming to the Philadelphia School District, with the school board passing a $3 billion facilties plan that aims to close 17 schools permanently, and renovate 169.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. presented the plan to the school board Feb. 26 and it immediately faced strong opposition. After some amendments, the board passed the plan April 30.\u00a0Here&#8217;s what we do and don&#8217;t know about it.<\/p>\n<p>And to see the proposed list school closures and check how your school could be impacted,\u00a0use our interactive charts.<\/p>\n<p>Each of the schools proposed for closure has its own story. Find them all here.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><div><\/div><p>The board voted April 30 on a $3 billion blueprint that would close 17 schools and modernize 169. The plan \u2014 which is $2 billion short of being fully funded \u2014 was largely unpopular with the public, but is necessary, district officials said, to accelerate achievement and solve for 70,000 empty seats, a vast stable of aging buildings, and a chronically underfunded system.<\/p><div><\/div><p>Council technically has no say in the plan \u2014 the school board is the sole decider. But Council controls roughly half of the district\u2019s budget, and some members have expressed frustration that they haven\u2019t had more say in major decisions like closings.<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Council members, led by Thomas, attempted to body block the plan, shutting down the meeting at which the school board voted it through. A large contingent of Council vowed to vote against the reappointment of any school board member who supported the closings. Some also said they think it\u2019s time to explore changing how school board members are appointed.<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Councilmember Curtis Jones said on Tuesday that \u201cwe have tools in our tool belt that we will use\u201d if the board doesn\u2019t move on school closings.<\/p><div><\/div><p>Jones said he wanted Council to move forward with legislation to bring in an authority like the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Agency, an independent body that provides independent oversight of the city\u2019s finances, to supervise the district.<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Vincent Thompson, a spokesperson for Council President Kenyatta Johnson, said Johnson was \u201cstill in discussions about this issue,\u201d and that he would have more information in the coming days.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3253\">What is the \u2018dose zero\u2019? Here\u2019s what you need to know about Pa.\u2019s new recommendations for early measles vaccination<\/a><\/p><div><\/div><p>Thomas also said lawsuits over the facilities plan are possible, though he suggested advocacy organizations, not Council, could bring the suits.<\/p><div><\/div><p>Delise Williams, a Democratic committeeperson who\u2019s been active in the fight to keep Parkway Northwest High School for Peace and Justice open, has already filed one lawsuit, saying she has concerns about student safety.<\/p><div><\/div><p>At one point toward the end of the school year, the board was negotiating making changes to the closing list with Council, said Thomas and Councilmember Anthony Phillips, the chair and vice-chair of Council\u2019s education committee. Those talks broke off abruptly, Thomas said.<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Council members have particularly strenuous objections to the closures of Lankenau High in Roxborough, the city\u2019s environmental sciences magnet, plus Paul Robeson High in West Philadelphia and Overbrook Elementary.<\/p><div><\/div><p>Reginald Streater, the school board president, suggested in a statement Tuesdaythat negotiations with Council were a non-starter.<\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cFor transparency and fairness to impacted school communities, any conversations regarding the board\u2019s April 30th resolution on the Facilities Master Plan\u2019s implementation must occur through the formal transition planning process,\u201d Streater said in the statement. \u201cThe board values City Council\u2019s partnership and remains committed to engaging stakeholders throughout the plan\u2019s implementation. As the process moves forward, the board will continue reviewing community feedback and the district\u2019s recommendations when making any decisions.\u201d<\/p><div><\/div><div><\/div><div><\/div><p>Monique Braxton, school district spokesperson, emphasized the modernization projects planned and the academic advancements projected.<\/p><div><\/div><p>\u201cWe understand the passion surrounding this matter, and we look forward to being collaborative partners in this process,\u201d Braxton said. \u201cAs we begin the transition planning process, we will continue to work closely with students, families, staff, elected officials, community members, and the Board of Education to ensure every transition is thoughtful, transparent, and centered on student success.\u201d <\/p><div><\/div><p>Technically, the board\u2019s April vote does not actually close schools, but rather it was a vote to begin the closure process, which officials said could change as circumstances change.<\/p><div><\/div><p>Pennsylvania public school code requires formal closure hearings to be held at least three months before any closures. The first closures are scheduled to happen in 2027; the 2026-27 year has been designated a planning year for transitions.<\/p><div><\/div><p>Shakeera Warthen-Canty, a veteran district administrator, was named by Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. to lead the transition office.<\/p><p>Read more <a href=\"https:\/\/corporate-movers-usa.com\/?p=3251\">A property manager used rent price-setting algorithms that were banned in Philly last year, lawsuit says<\/a><\/p><div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Council members have particularly strenuous objections to the closures of Lankenau High, Paul Robeson High in West Philadelphia and Overbrook Elementary.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3256,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3257","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>City Council is pushing the Philly school board to come back to the negotiating table on school closings - 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