Philly school board members hear public comment on the district’s proposed $4.6 billion budget

The vast majority of the board's agenda items passed unanimously, including the item agreeing to repatriate the human skull to the Cheyenne and Arapho Tribes.

And that's the end of the board meeting! Thanks for following along.

For more details on Thursday night's board meeting, check back on Inquirer.com Friday morning for a story rounding up the highlights.

Board member Chau-Wing Lam has concerns about a $3 million contract for professional landscape architecture and civil engineering design services with three firms for work at a district athletic supersite. Lam said she's concerned that the district's bid process here was problematic. Both she and board member Joyce Wilkerson voted no, but the resolution passed anyway.

That's the end of the speakers portion; we're now onto the board voting on agenda items. There are 34 items, but the votes usually go super quickly!

Debora O'Conner, a parent of district graduates, is advocating for the district to help enact gun safety programs.

Lisa Haver, a retired district teacher, speaks about the district's budget. "You can't just say you're listening to students. They'll know you're listening to them when their bathrooms are fixed."

Lynda Rubin, a retired district educator, decries an "overemphasis on test scores" which she says harms students' ability to learn.

Dominique Medley, parent of the CAPA Home and School Association to district leadership: "You have approved and selected incompetent leadership two years running."

Enrollment is down 22% over two years, and is projected to be down more next year. Teachers were supposed to be force-transferred. Parents and teachers have been afraid to speak out because of reprisal.

Watlington directs staff to meet with CAPA parents.

We're onto non-student speakers now! Board member Whitney Jones summarized the written testimony, which can be viewed here.

Larry Nannery, a parent of a child at Shawmont Elementary, discusses a "profound lack of funding," a lack of supports, and the transfer of students from one school to another as "a way of expulsion management" is problematic. Nannery said Shawmont's climate has suffered.

Loren White, the librarian at Shawmont Elementary, says $35,000 and a ton of volunteer help went into the revitalization of the school's library. Her position was eliminated, then restored at the last minute.

Board member Crystal Cubbage asks Watlington about ways the district is helping boost student attendance. One is finding out what barriers students have. In some cases, it's kids not having clean clothes; the district has moved to install washers and dryers at some schools. Watlington has said the district will also move to do better data tracking.

Board member Cheryl Harper, a former district administrator, said she's impressed with the student attendance increase.

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Rebecca Shonauer, a Shawmont student, talks about the benefit of a library to her school. It used to be an empty room. The librarian took her own time to ready the library for kids, with help from volunteers.

"I can't imagine anything can help a school more than such a competent librarian who cares so much about her kids."

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Kalorena Gonzalez, a sophomore at Martin Luther King High School, said: "I'm here to advocate for my school in providing equality in education." Tenth grade has had no teacher for English since October, she said.

"The board of education expects us to take an English Keystone without having an English teacher all year."

President Reginald Streater thanks Gonzalez for her advocacy. "We need to hear from y'all. The board needs to hear from y'all," Streater said.

Now we're on to student speakers. First up is Sirus Nannery, who attends Shawmont Elementary. Shawmont's library and librarian were initially proposed to be cut in the fall, but has just been restored.

Sirus wants other schools to have libraries and librarians.

"I feel that Shawmont's library and other schools' libraries are very important for education. We do need them to give students the knowledge they need to pursue a successful career."

» READ MORE: In Philly, school librarians are an endangered species. But the district could soon help lead a renaissance.

Parents this month heard about a need for better support for neurodiverse learners, rigor in math education, and education about school choice.

Board member Joyce Wilkerson urges members of the public to advocate against federal funding cuts which "threaten the future of our children." The district stands to lose hundreds of millions if federal cuts are made.

The board will go right into the action meeting, no break.

Students of the month are Daniella Liang, from Masterman School, who loves science and researches neurodegenerative disorders, and Sabree Weathers, from Mastbaum High, who's a part of the culinary arts program at Mastbaum and a mentor to younger students.

Teacher of the month is Sarah Apt of Olney High School.

My Le, another Palumbo student, describes her experiences at the school: She had mobility challenges when she started the school, but elevators were broken. It took her 30 minutes to walk up five flights of stairs. She felt unwelcome at school and didn't want to go back. She attempted to take her own life. The school has three counselors — whom Le loves — but they are overwhelmed. "That is not nearly enough support, and this isn't just an issue at Palumbo," Le said.

"I implore you to please fight for us," Le said. "Fight for schools that motivate us to wake up in the morning."

Reginald Streater, board president, said in response: "We understand that we have some challenges ahead," he said. "Thank you for raising your voices. Your voices matter. The board will take everything you said into consideration."

Keisha Nicholson, a district parent with a child at Bryant Elementary and member of Lift Every Voice Philly, a parent-led nonprofit, is up now. They represent schools that "have lost the most and have the most to gain."

Nicholson thanks the superintendent and board for refusing to make cuts in this budget. (Lift Every Voice parents worked to help restore a full-time nurse to Bryant, which at one point lacked one.)

"We need you to continue to invest in our children, knowing that when we speak up as the district's biggest critics, it comes from deep commitment and the understanding that we're your biggest audience and advocates." Nicholson says the organization will advocate with City Council for funding and work with the district.

Here we go: Philadelphia School District budget hearing. No action items, just speakers who want to sound off on the school system's $4.6 billion proposed 2025-26 spending plan. All board members are present.

Today’s school board meeting should be a lively one, leading off with the official hearing on the district’s $4.6 billion proposed 2025-26 budget, which will require the district to spend $300 million of its reserves to avoid layoffs and program cuts. (And projects a deficit beginning in the 2026-27 school year.)

Also of note on the agenda: The school board will consider a resolution to hand off a human skull that has been used in anatomy lessons at Central High School to the Cheyenne and Arapaho Tribes for burial, and is considering spending millions on a contract amendment for the company that provides the Philadelphia School District with substitute teachers.

Stay tuned to follow along with our liveblog. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m.

» READ MORE: Philly schools project a fiscal cliff, plan to spend $306 million in reserves to avoid classroom cuts and layoffs