November 12, 2026
Provided Image/Philadelphia Federation of Teachers
Philly’s teachers union released a $25 million plan to address structural and safety issues at 17 district schools slated for closure. Above, Claire Andrews, a teacher at Wagner Middle School, speaks in opposition to the school district’s $3 billion, 10-year facilities plan during a press conference Wednesday.
Some of the Philadelphia schools slated for closure next year have dealt with structural and safety issues like cracked ceilings, 50-degree classrooms and rat nests, but the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers suggested Wednesday that problems at all 17 schools can be adequately addressed for just $25.35 million.
School District of Philadelphia officials, however, countered that the teachers union's plan falls woefully short of what is required to address the structural deficiencies. The district estimates the cost to fix these issues at $298 million, including nearly $50 million to install new HVAC systems at five schools.
"While the PFT's proposed $25 million investment may address some immediate maintenance needs, it falls short of addressing these challenges, including the multi-year student enrollment loss at all 17 schools and the need for a long-term and sustainable strategy for the school district," the district said in a statement.
As an alternative to the district's $3 billion, 10-year facilities plan that was approved in April, PFT leaders said they will urge the Board of Education to approve their proposal to instead rectify deteriorating building conditions "immediately" in accordance with four main objectives — keeping schools clean, comfortable, dry and safe.
"When a boiler or ventilation system breaks down and isn't fixed in a timely manner, small problems grow into big ones," PFT President Arthur Steinberg said in a statement Wednesday. "The PFT Facilities Action Plan calls on the district to prioritize building needs and focus on making all schools acceptable and attractive for families weighing other education options. The status quo of the district doing too little and too late for our buildings is not acceptable."
The teachers union's plan calls for the district to hire additional staffing, add resources for maintenance projects and create two "Rapid Response Teams" for cleaning and repair projects. These teams would cost $175,000 to $250,000 per school and be tasked with responding to environmental or safety issue work orders within a matter of days, the union said.
Specific maintenance needs for all 17 schools slated for closure are laid out in the plan, including repairing bathroom facilities, replacing windows and adjusting thermal controls and air conditioning units. Price estimates are also broken down for each school building, ranging from $750,000 for all repairs at Overbrook High School to $2.55 million at Penn Treaty School.
Repairs would be underway at all 17 schools by the 2027-28 school year and would continue until all buildings are in at least "good" condition by 2031-32, the plan says. By keeping the 17 schools open, PFT believes it can also reverse declining enrollment rates in the district. The district was under its projected enrollment levels by over 4,000 students, the Inquirer reported earlier this school year.
The union was joined by city council members Jamie Gauthier, Nina Ahmad and Rue Landau to present its plan and urge on the school board to implement it this school year. Steinberg called on Mayor Cherelle Parker to support the union's plan. Parker has publicly supported the district's plan.
"The city of Philadelphia cannot grow and thrive if its public education system is allowed to shrink and wither," Steinberg said in his statement. "The Board of Education and District ignore the public, but they cannot ignore the Mayor. … Let's work together on a plan that earns the trust of school-age families and educators and grow our schools."
A rodent nest built in a lab fan at Parkway West High School is among the various structural and safety issues at the 17 schools slated for closure.
The union published photographs depicting safety or environmental concerns at several schools, including a rodent nest in a lab fan at Parkway West, a 50-degree classroom at Penn Treaty and a cracked ceiling and detached outlet at Harding Middle School.
"The sentiment at Harding among both staff and students is that the school district should have invested in our building long ago and now we are being punished for their lack of investment, because the district points to our building score as a reason for our closure," Harding teacher Jana Pugsley said. "It's hard to explain to my eighth graders why our building is closing … when the option to upgrade Harding's building for Harding students exists."
In addition to the school closings, the district's facilities plan, titled "Accelerating Opportunity," funds modernization projects for 169 buildings and co-locates six schools. Its designed to better allocate the district's resources.
The plan was approved in April, but the district must still identify the funding source for $2 billion of its projected $3 billion price tag.
Superintendent Tony Watlington and other district officials have characterized the 2026-27 school year as a "planning" year and implemented School Transition Committees to ease the transitions for impacted school communities.
"We recognize that school transitions are difficult and we are committed to providing red-carpet, white-glove support to affected students, families and staff throughout the process," the district said. "Our students deserve more than short-term repairs and the preservation of the status quo. They deserve a comprehensive, equitable and sustainable investment in their futures. This is what 'Accelerating Opportunity' is designed to deliver."
