WHEREAS, The School District of Philadelphia has a 300 building system spread over 140 square miles with an average building age of 73 years; and,
WHEREAS, Due to unconstitutionally inadequate funding as determined recently in a landmark ruling the School District has had to make impossible choices between staffing classrooms and ensuring that the classrooms themselves were in working order; and,
WHEREAS, As local control of the School District has been returned and City Council and the Mayor are leading the various agencies and legal bodies responsible for the school district; and,
WHEREAS, The City must work to find ways to overhaul the School district’s facilities in order to avoid losing the progress that has been made in recent years in graduation rates and academics; and,
WHEREAS, A proactive, modern facilities inspection process is showing more building problems and forcing children out of their school buildings; and,
WHEREAS, It is our responsibility to ensure that school buildings are safe places for kids to learn, grow, and become the next generation of Philly leaders; and,
WHEREAS, The multitude of challenges the School District is tasked with handling makes it difficult for facilities to the priority they must be, City Council must look to new options to deliver the physical plant that makes learning possible; and,
WHEREAS, Innovative solutions and increased funding should allow us to deliver a safe, welcoming and modern experience to this generation of Philadelphia children; THEREFOR be it,
RESOLVED, that the Committee on Education hold hearings investigating the use of an independent authority to bond and manage the school facilities modernization that safety calls for and students, parents, teachers and communities deserve.
End