Community members rally against school closures ahead of superintendent's presentation to school board

Big news out of the facilities plan: Two of the 20 schools Watlington initially proposed for closure will be spared under the revised plan.

Conwell Middle School in Kensington and Motivation High in Southwest Philadelphia will not close after all, Watlington announced at a charged school board meeting Thursday.

Watlington is calling the plan "Accelerating Opportunities," a nod to "Accelerate Philly," his academic strategic plan.

It's the big moment now: Watlington is presenting his facilities master plan.

He name-checks Constance E. Clayton, the legendary former Philadelphia superintendent, whom he called his "#1 mentor."

"We've lost tens of thousands of children" since Clayton's day, because of the growth of the charter school sector and a flat birth rate, Watlington said.

Student regular attendance was 53% this past January, as compared to 51% in 2025, Watlington says.

Watlington will present a recommendation to eliminate half days, which affect student attendance negatively.

"We need to eliminate and sunset half days from our school calendars for now, and forevermore," the superintendent said.

Jessica Peruso, an autistic support teacher at Harding Middle School in Frankford — one of the 20 schools slated for closure under the district's facilities plan — was honored as Teacher of the Month.

Peruso has taught at Harding for 13 years.

"Her work is more than teaching — it is advocacy and community building in action," Superintendent Tony Watlington said.

Board meeting, here we go!

There's a packed room and a packed agenda.

Board president Reginald Streater explains that given the length of the meeting, the board will take at least one break to help members maintain focus (and switch out batteries).

City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier delivered a fiery speech to close the rally on behalf of all of the elected officials present. She called the proposal “a bad deal” for students, teachers, and staff across the district.

“Our kids, especially the Black and brown young people being disproportionately impacted by this plan, deserve better than a plan that's dependent on raising an additional $2 billion informed by inconsistent data, and is missing so many crucial answers,” she said.

Gauthier said several well-performing schools, like Paul Robeson High School and Parkway West High School, are slated for closure, and implored the district to reevaluate its plan and slow down.

Midway through the rally, a busload of students and staff from Lankenau High, an environmental science magnet school, arrived in front of the school district headquarters, armed with signs calling the school district’s plan to close “trash.”

“I feel safe here,” said Zhanel Osmonova, a first-year student. At her previous school, she felt less welcome and struggled to fit in. That changed at Lankenau, and she said she’s worried about having to start over again.

“In this school, I find my voice and my safety,” she said.

Ahead of the official start of the rally, students from John B. Stetson Middle School are raising the energy with whistles, noise-makers, and the kind of cheering you’d expect at a college basketball game, except these chants are: "Save our school!”

Some passing cars honked their support.

David Orellana, pastor of CityReach Church in Kensington, said that he and others in the Stetson community have not received adequate answers from the school district about why Stetson is recommended for closure.

Superintendent Tony B. Watlington St. is set to present his $2.8 billion facilities plan to school board members at Thursday's meeting.

The board will not vote Thursday on the plan, which remains just a proposal until members act on it. The board has not yet set a date for that vote but it is expected in the coming weeks.

Watlington has proposed closing 20 schools, colocating six, and modernizing 159 school buildings, though it is possible that his presentation Thursday could include revisions to that plan unveiled last month.