Two weeks ago, the School Reform Commission decided to close 23 public schools, many of which were housed in dilapidated, difficult to maintain buildings. Although the city's claim that they will save money by getting rid of these school properties is hard to argue with, one question remains: what is the city going to do with the buildings? Though the SRC's Facilities Master Plan includes Transition Information for students, there is no hint as to the fate of the soon-to-be vacant school buildings.
In the past, the SRC has been in charge of selling off vacant school buildings, but with so many buildings to sell, is the SRC equipped to manage its real estate? Further, most of the closed schools are located in low-demand areas, making them difficult to sell. In spite of these challenges, the SRC hopes to raise $28 million during the next five years from selling off their surplus real estate, and for the sake of Philly's public schools, they had better.
· 4 Philadelphia schools saved, 23 closing after SRC vote [6abc.com]
· Selling of vacant schools is underway[thenotebook]
· SRC votes to close 23 schools, spares 4 [thenotebook]
— Molly Webb
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