Schools, Rec Centers and Libraries
Buildings that are safe to be in, open when families need them, and staffed by people who are paid to stay.
- A published, funded schedule for remediating asbestos, lead and heat in school buildings.
- Rec centers and libraries open evenings and weekends, with staff who are paid to stay.
- A counselor and a nurse in every school building.
- Summer and after-school programming that families can actually get a seat in.
Philadelphia asks children to learn in buildings that are, in some cases, older than the grandparents dropping them off. Damaged asbestos, lead paint, and classrooms over ninety degrees in June are not a school district problem for somebody else to solve — the City of Philadelphia funds this district, and City Council votes on that money.
Fix the buildings on a published schedule
Every school building in Philadelphia should have a public condition record and a funded date for the work it needs. Parents should not learn about a hazard from a news story.
Open the buildings we already have
Rec centers and branch libraries are the cheapest child care, violence prevention and after-school programming the city will ever buy. They need consistent hours and permanent staff, not seasonal positions that turn over every spring.
Adults in the building
A counselor and a nurse in every school is not an aspiration; it is a baseline. So is a librarian in a school library that is currently a locked room full of books.
Help make this happen
Plans need a Council seat behind them. Chip in or take a shift.