School board deserves kudos for tackling reorganization challenge | Editorial

The process of reorganizing Philadelphia’s schools is an unenviable task.

Some schools may need to be closed. Some families may end up assigned to a different elementary school than the one they bought a house to be near. No matter how carefully, wisely, and transparently the decisions are made, some people are likely to feel slighted by the outcome.

That only makes it more commendable that the city’s Board of Education, under the leadership of president Reginald Streater, has chosen to take up the challenge of getting it done.

After all, Philadelphia’s schools are in desperate need of rightsizing. In some areas of the city, schools are bursting at the seams, making it more difficult for children to learn. In others, the cost of maintaining a structure built for a student body three or four times the size of current enrollment is financially unfeasible.

The district is also filled with older buildings that lack air-conditioning or may contain asbestos or other materials now known to be hazardous. Moving on from some of these buildings — and offering students high-quality, modern classrooms — is essential.

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Skeptics may point to the city’s previous experience with school closures in 2012, a recession-era measure devised by out-of-town consultants to bridge a large budget deficit. That round of closures was difficult for parents, students, and teachers, in part, because it was handled so hastily and abruptly. In some cases, merging schools worsened discipline problems. In others, they disrupted the lives of teachers, students, and neighborhoods. In the end, the School Reform Commission closed 30 of the 57 schools recommended.

Everyone involved in this new effort must learn from the mistakes of the past.

One thing that will likely make that easier is that this process is being driven by long-term thinking, rather than finding a way to avert an immediate crisis. Another is who will be leading the discussion.

Rather than reacting to a report written by faraway consultants, residents will hear from Streater — a man who attended one of the neighborhood public schools that was closed in 2013 and felt the impact of those closures firsthand. Additionally, the final call will be made by a Board of Education made up of appointees selected by the mayor and approved by City Council, rather than the state-dominated School Reform Commission.

This is also not the first big decision made under Streater’s leadership.

While the move to centralize admissions at the city’s criteria-based schools is not without its critics or problems, the district has listened, adapted, and improved the process over time. The selection of Tony B. Watlington Sr. as superintendent also has been paying early dividends.

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To be sure, there are some factors officials should keep in mind as they begin this process. One is that in a city like Philadelphia, where nearly a third of households do not own a car, having an elementary school within walking distance is essential. At the end of the process, families who currently have nearby access to a public kindergarten should retain that option.

Another is equity. Many of the city’s most underenrolled schools are in Black neighborhoods that have experienced population loss, while many of the city’s oversubscribed schools are in gentrifying areas. Somehow, this process must reconcile these facts without being unfair. Threading this needle might be the most daunting part of the job.

Still, undertaking difficult and sometimes contentious work is a vital part of public service. It is heartening to see that in Streater, the city has found a homegrown leader willing and able to make these decisions, with an aim to balance financial, cultural, and civic interests.

Philadelphia students deserve nothing less.