WHEREAS, We have come to know over time that, Human history becomes more and more a race between education and catastrophe (Wells, H.G.,
The Outline of History
, Ch. 40, 1951); and
WHEREAS, In order to avoid catastrophe, promote progress, and ensure that each student in the City of Philadelphia be afforded an equal, zenithal educational opportunity, a temporary - yet sufficient - delay should be imposed upon the aforementioned School District of Philadelphia Facilities Master Plan recommendations so as to afford all citizens the opportunity to have their voices heard; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia will require ample time to incorporate said considerations when, where, and if possible, into their final plan; and
WHEREAS, While a temporary suspension of action is recommended, it is understood that the School District of Philadelphia faces a significant budget crisis which, in order to address said financial shortfall, requires a myriad of efforts, including the closing of some schools; and
WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia has provided to the public the criteria for their recommendations which include, but are not limited to, building quality (measured by the district's Facilities Condition Index), academic performance (measured by a school's Adequate Yearly Progress), utilization (measured by a school's student enrollment divided by its respective building capacity), and cost (measured by cost per student); and
WHEREAS, A suspension of action may prove futile if specific steps are not proposed and agreed upon as to what the School District of Philadelphia can do to obtain additional revenue, if issues relating to the negative social and economic impact school closures will have on already impoverished neighborhoods are not addressed, and if data from studies of previous efforts to close schools on a similar scale in cities across the country that contradict the district's claims of substantial financial gain and increased academic achievement are overlooked; now therefore, be it,
Resolved, That the City Council of Philadelphia, Shall support, advocate, and recommend a Moratorium (Suspension of Action) for the School District of Philadelphia's Facilities Master Plan recommendations concerning grade changes, school closures, program co-locations, and program mergers/relocations.
End
