This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
The School Reform Commission will hold a series of public hearings over three days to hear testimony on the proposed school closures before the commission votes March 7. The meetings will take place Feb. 21, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23. All hearings will be held in the auditorium at the School District of Philadelphia headquarters, 440 N. Broad St., and will be divided up according to District planning area.
Those who want to testify must pre-register by calling the Office of Parent, Community & Family Engagement at 215-400-4180. Pre-registration runs from 9 a.m. Feb. 19 through noon Feb. 21. No more than 10 speakers will be permitted to testify about each school that is slated to close, and the guidelines as outlined in the District’s speaker policy for SRC public meetings will apply to the hearings.
The dates and times of the hearings are listed below:
| Thursday, Feb. 21, 2013 | |
| Planning Area | Time |
| Northcentral (west of Broad St.) | 6-7 p.m. |
| Northcentral (east of Broad St.) | 7-7:45 p.m. |
| Northwest (high schools) | 7:45-8:15 p.m. |
| Northwest (elementary / middle) | 8:15-8:45 p.m |
| Southwest | 8:45-9:30 p.m. |
| West | 9:30-10 p.m. |
| Southcentral | 10-10:25 p.m. |
| Northeast | 10:25-10:35 p.m. |
| Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 | |
| Planning Area | Time |
| Northcentral (west of Broad St.) | 8:30-10:30 a.m. |
| Northcentral (east of Broad St.) | 10:30 a.m.-noon |
| Northwest (high schools) | 1-2 p.m. |
| Northwest (elementary/middle) | 2-3 p.m. |
| Southwest | 3-4:45 p.m. |
| West | 4:45-5:45 p.m. |
| Southcentral | 5:45-6:35 p.m. |
| Northeast | 6:35-6:50 p.m. |
| Saturday, Feb. 23, 2013 | |
| Planning Area | Time |
| Northeast | 8:30-8:45 a.m. |
| Southcentral | 8:45-9:30 a.m. |
| West | 9:30-10:30 a.m. |
| Southwest | 10:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. |
| Northwest (high schools) | 1-2 p.m. |
| Northwest (elementary/middle) | 2-3 p.m. |
| Northcentral (east of Broad St.) | 3-4:30 p.m. |
| Northcentral(west of Broad St.) | 4:30-6:30 p.m. |