4 Philadelphia schools close early because of heating issues, cold temps, district says

One school switched to remote learning, and multiple other School District of Philadelphia schools sent students home early Monday because of problems with heating systems, a spokesperson said. 

Furness High School in Pennsport switched to remote learning Monday because of "ongoing heating challenges in the building," a letter shared on its Facebook page said.

Four schools dismissed students early Monday because of the cold: Farrell Elementary School, Greenberg Elementary School, the U School and Parkway Center City Middle College, according to the district.

The "sustained frigid temperatures" combined with aging school buildings have caused heating issues, the spokesperson said in a statement. 

The district's operations division and independent contractors are working to address ongoing and new issues with schools "to ensure that all students can safely return to a full day of in-person instruction as soon as possible," the district said. 

The district reopened buildings for in-person learning Thursday following the winter storm that dumped more than 9 inches of snow on the city. The teachers union last week urged the district to move back to remote learning Friday because of cold classrooms and icy conditions, but schools remained open. Teachers shared photos showing thermostats in their classrooms reading 49 and 50 degrees. 

In a statement Monday, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur G. Steinberg criticized the district for reopening schools with heating issues. 

"Not only have they disrespected our members, they've left families at multiple schools today scrambling to arrange travel and care due to early dismissals," Steinberg said in part in the statement.

The average age of school district buildings is more than 70 years, the district said in 2024.