Philadelphia Church Gathers Input On City's School Closure Plan
Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cedarbrook has wrapped up a series of meetings at many of the 37 schools on the school district's closure list.
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Enon Tabernacle Baptist Church in Cedarbrook has wrapped up a series of meetings at many of the 37 schools on the school district's closure list.
In an address this week to the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, schools superintendent William Hite said the district is neogtiating partnerships with local universities to get supplemental health services into schools.
Sylvia Simms, 52, of North Philadelphia, is a former district bus attendant and the founder of the group "Parent Power."
The Pennsylvania public school advocate group "Action United" filed the complaint after, the group said, its analysis of the plan showed that schools slated for closing disproportionately serve African-American, low income, and disabled students.
The debate within City Council chambers was heated.
Also looming is the continued financial woes of the school district, and the debate over the planned closure of 37 school buildings.
District policy calls for anyone signing out a student to go to the main office, with identification, where their name should be matched with a list of approved individuals.
A school district spokesman says the adult woman was entering the school about 10am to register for evening classes when school police at the X-ray machine saw a gun in the woman's diaper bag.
Starting next school year, more than half of the three- and four-year-olds in district preschool programs known as "Head Start" will be served by private day care providers.
After four months of fact-gathering, Superintendent William Hite presented his action plan on Monday to improve Philadelphia schools. His plan has two goals: improving academics and stabilizing finances.
Strawberry Mansion High School is one of the 37 schools the School District of Philadelphia plans on closing.
Chanting "save our schools," an overflow crowd of parents and students packed the first School Reform Commission meeting since Superintendent William Hite announced the school closure plan last week.
Some schools that have received new equipment are now slated to be shut down by the Philadelphia school district.
"Corbett's budget hurt education around the state, not just Philadelphia. And we need to come up with a unified strategy with other districts around the state and restore the funding formula from 2008."
Local activist groups, students, parents and community members plan to come together Saturday afternoon to protest the recommended school closings announced on Wednesday.
Among the high schools to close are Germantown High, Strawberry Mansion High, University City High, and Bok Tech.
Several groups have filed a formal complaint, saying a privately-funded consultant's report for the Philadelphia school district amounted to lobbying.
The effort among Philadelphia's district, charter, and archdiocesan schools known as the "Great Schools Compact" has received a $2.5-million grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Complicating the matter is that the district hasn't yet named the dozens of schools it may be permanently closing next year.
The hearing lasted hours and was dominated by school parents and other advocates who object to the closure process.
Superintendent William Hite defended the salary increases, saying they coincided with additional responsibilities for employees in the district's IT, finance, and human resources departments.
The Educational Improvement Tax Credit is promoted as a way to provide a better education for poor children, but public education advocates say it actually takes away tax money that could be used to improve schools.
Expanding the program at a time when the state has slashed public school funding is infuriating public education advocates.
"BLOCS provides scholarships from your business taxes to students who not only want to attend a Catholic school but are most in need," says one advertisement.
State senator Tony Williams defends the program as similar to the GI Bill, but some of his Harrisburg colleagues see it as improperly favoring closed groups.
Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she is "still out there," the sheriff said.
Two barges carrying salt along the Delaware River to Philadelphia were delayed this week because of the exceptionally icy conditions on the water.
A fire broke out at a rowhome in North Philadelphia on Thursday morning, officials said.
Rescue boats were on the scene at the Wiggins Park Marina on Thursday as crews tried to pull a firefighter from the water.
A person with a confirmed case of measles visited an urgent care center in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, last month, health officials said.
Rescue boats were on the scene at the Wiggins Park Marina on Thursday as crews tried to pull a firefighter from the water.
Investigators have no proof that the missing mother of "Today" show host Savannah Guthrie is still alive but are holding out hope she is "still out there," the sheriff said.
Two barges carrying salt along the Delaware River to Philadelphia were delayed this week because of the exceptionally icy conditions on the water.
A fire broke out at a rowhome in North Philadelphia on Thursday morning, officials said.
A person with a confirmed case of measles visited an urgent care center in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, last month, health officials said.
Two barges carrying salt along the Delaware River to Philadelphia were delayed this week because of the exceptionally icy conditions on the water.
A fire broke out at a rowhome in North Philadelphia on Thursday morning, officials said.
A person with a confirmed case of measles visited an urgent care center in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, last month, health officials said.
Crews were called out to a fire on Main Street and Woodland Avenue in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, on Thursday morning.
The bipartisan "Bell-to-Bell" bill bars students from using their phones any time they're in school, not just during instructional periods.
Rescue boats were on the scene at the Wiggins Park Marina on Thursday as crews tried to pull a firefighter from the water.
A fire destroyed a home in Monroe Township, New Jersey, Tuesday night.
New Jersey has a few programs that can help residents set up payment plans as they deal with skyrocketing utilities bills.
New Jersey has less than a one-week supply of red blood cells and less than a day's supply of platelets, health officials say.
At the Child Family Center in Millville, New Jersey, lessons learned by preschoolers go far beyond ABCs and 123s.
The man whom Jill Biden divorced for the eventual 46th President of the United States is now in jail on murder charges.
A Delaware man is behind bars after he allegedly attacked two other men over a parking dispute, police say.
A teenager and a 21-year-old man were injured in a shooting in Wilmington Monday afternoon, police said.
Following Sunday's major winter storm, multiple businesses, organizations and event centers are staying closed on Monday.
With the Philadelphia region expecting a major snowstorm this weekend, here's the best choice of ice melt to keep you safe.
A person with a confirmed case of measles visited an urgent care center in Collegeville, Pennsylvania, last month, health officials said.
A toddler and a dog from Los Angeles have a unique bond that came together thanks to a Philly doctor and a story from CBS News Philadelphia.
New Jersey has less than a one-week supply of red blood cells and less than a day's supply of platelets, health officials say.
For Kolin and his family, CHOP was a home away from home while he waited for a heart transplant.
There's new hope for a devastating cancer in dogs that's often deadly because there are no early warning signs.
Former Sheetz president and CEO Steve Sheetz has died at age 77, the Altoona-based company announced on Monday.
The post-Christmas return rush was underway at shops and malls across the Philadelphia area.
With product return fraud on the rise, an emerging company is using AI to help spot issues.
Here are mall opening and closing hours for the Christmas and Christmas Eve holidays around the Philly region.
Through Amazon Now, customers can get household items, cosmetics, electronics, groceries and more delivered in about 30 minutes or less.
The city says residents shouldn't park on a major stretch of South Broad Street in Philadelphia Tuesday for a snow removal operation.
Traffic is starting to move again on Roosevelt Boulevard after a fatal crash shut down the road in both directions Friday morning.
Snow-covered sidewalks, freezing temperatures and more have made commutes challenging for many public transit riders across Philadelphia.
Philadelphia is closing several roads in Center City Tuesday night to remove snow after a winter storm dumped nearly 10 inches over the weekend.
Transportation service will ramp up gradually Monday across the Philadelphia area following the weekend snowstorm.
Longtime Philadelphia Eagles offensive line coach Jeff Stoutland will not return for the 2026 season.
Gavin McKenna is facing multiple charges, including felony aggravated assault, according to court records.
The Philadelphia 76ers traded Jared McCain to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a first-round pick and three second-rounders.
Frank Reich and Aaron Glenn are teammates again with the New York Jets, looking to turn around the fortunes of a frustrated franchise.
American athletes are preparing for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics. These are some of the top Team USA competitors to watch.
Mural Arts Philadelphia is looking for an artist or team of artists to design a mural honoring Boyz II Men's contributions to music and culture as the city celebrates America's 250th anniversary.
Chuck Negron, a founding member of Three Dog Night whose lead vocals powered a string of hits for one of the top rock acts of the late 1960s and early '70s has died. He was 83.
Bad Bunny used his Grammy acceptance speech on Sunday to denounce U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and call for the end of the ongoing immigration crackdown.
The 2026 Grammy Awards recognized the best of the best in music from last year, with big wins for Kendrick Lamar and Bad Bunny. Here's the full list of winners and nominees.
Complete closure of the performing arts center in Washington, D.C., will start on July 4, Mr. Trump said. It's not yet clear how extensive the changes to the building might be.
Ukee Washington reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Natasha Brown reports.
Ukee Washington reports.
Middle school students in Philadelphia got the opportunity to do hands-on learning during the school district's five-day career and technical camp.
With her Girl Talk mentoring program, one Philadelphia teen turned her camp days into a safe space to discuss social issues young girls face every day.
Recent high school graduate Sylvain Farrell says his temporary position at a local clinic is the pathway to a full-time career.
A Philadelphia student won an award from NFL Films for his documentary on bringing back sports teams at his Kensington school.
A group of East Norriton eighth graders took what started as an Earth Day project and made a whole initiative.
Camden Mayor Victor G. Carstarphen and Fire Chief Jesse M. Flax spoke to the media after a firefighter fell into the icy Delaware River and died on Thursday. He was getting on a boat to do a routine maintenance check, Flax said.
Chopper 3 was over the scene as a person was pulled from the frigid Delaware River on Thursday. There's no word on the person's condition. Dan Snyder reports and Meteorologist Grant Gilmore gives some insight into the river conditions.
Founded in 1960 in Ann Arbor, Michigan and now with hundreds of locations across the country, America's Tire is where the tire experts are. Ashley Harder takes you to America's Tire locations in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
No one was injured but there were people evacuated and displaced after a fire at the Oakwood Gardens apartments in Lansdale, Pennsylvania early Thursday morning.
Snow removal efforts continue in Philadelphia, and early Thursday morning we saw crews getting to work near the major Broad Street and Erie Avenue intersection in North Philly.