17 Philadelphia schools to close: Students and council protest plan

A rally outside Philadelphia's school district headquarters, it is the latest protest against the school district's facilities master plan. The Board of Education approved that plan six months ago, which would close more than a dozen schools and upgrade more than 160 others. Our Jennifer Lee reports. As it stands, 17 Philadelphia schools are slated to close in June, all part of a master facilities plan to modernize Philadelphia schools over the next But as we heard during the rally. Many are still fighting to keep their schools open, and some city council members are now calling on Mayor Parker to stop the school closures. Save our schools! Save our schools! Save our schools! The two unions representing principals and teachers rallied outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters on Broad Street Thursday, all during the Board of Education meeting. Fix our buildings, save our schools, do not close them. The Board of Education approved a three billion dollar facilities master plan designed to modernize nearly 170 schools in Philadelphia over the next decade, and it calls for the closure of 17 schools. Philadelphia council members are now asking the mayor to stop the closures. We're asking the mayor, we're asking the mayor, please get involved. The public deserves for her to speak on this. The public deserves for her to slow this down. The cries from the rally moved into public comments during the Board of Education meeting. The president of the board, Reginald Streeter, says the facilities plan is now back in the hands of the school district. There was a resolution that was passed. That directs all next steps to go through the school district of Philadelphia. So we have taken the football and given it back to Dr. Wallington. Superintendent Tony Wallington highlighted four priority schools to receive $200 million in investments. He also says the transition team sent school placement letters in the mail to students impacted by closures. But many tell us they still don't know where they're going next year. I have to figure out what school I'm going to go to. And because of the lottery, it's not as easy to get into another school. I'm really sad about it because this is my This is my sophomore year, and then I have to do two more years at a whole different school where I don't know any people there. I don't even know where I'm going to go to school at. And that's, like, really heartbreaking because I feel like I learned a lot at this school, and I feel like it's, like, really cowardly to close our school. You're either going to show up and support these kids and do the right thing, or you're a coward, and I'm sick of it, sick and tired. The Superintendent also says they'll continue engaging with students and staff who are going to be impacted by the school closures at the School District of Philadelphia headquarters. Jennifer Lee, Fox 29 News.