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Some long-vacant Philadelphia school buildings might be transferred to the city for redevelopment as potential housing units in the near future.
The Board of Education approved a resolution Thursday granting the district the ability to negotiate with the city to sell or otherwise transfer some vacant buildings for housing or other purposes that benefit the community
The resolution passed 6-2, but several board members said they felt strongly that the district should not grant the city any sort of exclusivity or claim on vacant properties without exploring other development opportunities.
Board President Reginald Streater stressed at the meeting that the resolution does not immediately transfer any school buildings to the city but is the first step in a process.
“I would be derelict in my duty if I didn’t explore this as a mechanism,” Streater said.
The approval also is a political move signaling that the board — which is mayorally appointed — is aligned with Mayor Cherelle Parker’s administration.
Parker has made building and restoring some 30,000 housing units a core part of her agenda and has publicly expressed her interest in using empty school buildings for that purpose.
Philadelphians, elected leaders, and even a charter school have renewed their focus on the district’s empty buildings after police found 23-year-old Mount Airy woman Kada Scott’s body buried in the woods behind the Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School building, which has sat empty and blighted since 2008.
The district has 20 vacant buildings valued at an estimated $80 million, according to the city’s office of property assessment, that would be considered for transfer under Thursday’s resolution. According to the resolution text, the district would still need to consider outstanding bond obligations, legal processes, or potential revenue impact before making any formal agreement with the city.
Thursday’s resolution kicks off the process of exploring the possibility of a transfer, but any agreements to exchange a school building would need to go before the board for a vote, according to the resolution.
Board member ChauWing Lam, who voted against the resolution, said Thursday she wasn’t sure the document was necessary to have those exploratory conversations with the city. She said she was concerned that the district and board would be foregoing and limiting the board’s ability to consider other offers outside of Parker’s administration by adopting the resolution.
The resolution frames any potential transfers as a cost-saving measure for the district, which is facing a budget deficit and spends money and staff hours on the upkeep of vacant school buildings. The resolution says those buildings are unused and not needed for education and the resources they require could be better spent on classroom needs.
Board member Wanda Novalés said Thursday any proposal brought to the board regarding the sale or transfer of any district-owned buildings should be financially beneficial for the district because the properties “belong to our students.”
Streater said the resolution only covers currently vacant buildings and would not apply to any future schools closed through the district’s ongoing facilities planning process.
A list of schools targeted for closure, co-location, renovation, or reuse is expected in the next few months.
Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org
