School Closing Update: Philadelphia Right to Education Local Task Force

Good Afternoon Everyone,

The School District of Philadelphia is considering closing 2 schools:

1) William Penn High School

2) Gillespie Middle School

The community meeting for Gillespie Middle school was held on Monday, February 23, 2009. However, if you have questions as to where your special education child will go, please contact the principal.

If this answer is not satisfactory, please contact Kathryn Donahue, the Special Education Director for the North Region. Her contact information is 215-400-6085 or by email kdonahue@philasd.org. The Regional Superintendent for the North Region is Lucy Feria and her email is lrodrigu@philasd.org or 215-400-0998.

However, the parent community meeting for William Penn High School Monday, March 2, 2009 at 6pm at William Penn High School.

Please parents and community come and get the information, be heard, and have your concerns answered.

The Special Education Directors for the Comprenhensive High School Region are Nancy Erskine (nerskine@philasd.org or 215-400-6070) and Linda Williams (lwilliams@philasd.org or 215-400-6088).

Finally, the SRC (School Reform Commission) will hold public hearings on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 immediately after their regularly scheduled 2pm meetings.

Please see the notice below.http://www.philasd.org/announcements/src_closing.pdfPlease plan to attend all meetings and have your voices heard.

Cecelia Thompson

Chairperson, Philadelphia Right to Education Local Task Force

PUBLIC NOTICE
School Reform Commission
The School District of Philadelphia

The School Reform Commission (SRC) of the School District of Philadelphia will hold two consecutive special public hearings on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 in the second oor auditorium of the School District’s Education Center, 440 N. Broad Street, Philadelphia PA on the School District’s proposals to: (1) close Elizabeth D. Gillespie Middle School, 1801 W. Pike Street as of June 30, 2009, and (2) close William Penn High School, 1333 N. Broad Street, as of June 30, 2010.

The special public hearings will begin immediately following the conclusion of the SRC’s regularly scheduled planning meeting which begins at 2 p.m. on March 11, 2009. The SRC will hear each School District proposal separately. A vote on the proposals will not be taken until the SRC’s regularly scheduled public meeting on June 10, 2009.

Any interested person may address the SRC and submit written questions by pre-registering with the O-ce of Communications at 215-400-4040 no later than 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, March 10, 2009. The SRC will submit transcripts of the hearings to the Pennsylvania Department of Education in Harrisburg, PA.