Jalen Hurts will fund air conditioning at 10 city schools, the School District of Philadelphia announced Thursday.
The Eagles quarterback is donating $200,000 to the district to purchase AC units for schools without adequate cooling. The district said the funds would "improve the learning environment and comfort for students and staff." Superintendent Tony B. Watlington and Hurts will officially announce the gift in a conference at one of the selected schools on Friday morning.
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The schools include the Clara Barton School, Gloria Casarez Elementary School, Castor Gardens Middle School, D. Newlin Fell School, Thomas K. Finletter School, Fitler Academics Plus, Abram Jenks School, Edward Gideon School, Theodore Roosevelt School and Science Leadership Academy in Benjamin Franklin High School.
Air conditioning has been a long-standing issue for Philadelphia schools, dozens of which lack proper cooling. According to Accelerate Philly, the five-year strategic plan for improvement that the school district released in 2023, more than 100 schools require AC installations or upgrades. The gaps have spurred the school district to send affected students home early on sweltering summer days, including on the first days of class in September. All 10 of the schools receiving units from Hurts' donation were included in those early dismissals.
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