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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. W. Curtis Thomas |
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Thomas announces William Penn High School will not close
HARRISBURG, June 25 – State Rep. W. Curtis Thomas, D-Phila., announced today that School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. Arlene Ackerman formally withdrew her proposal to close William Penn High School at a School Reform Commission meeting yesterday.
In February, the School District of Philadelphia presented a plan to close William Penn High School following the 2009-10 school year. Thomas spearheaded the Coalition for the Revitalization of William Penn High School to stop the district from closing the school and to urge renovation of the facility, which has been a cornerstone of the North Philadelphia community for nearly 100 years.
Thomas has testified at several meetings of the School Reform Commission in opposition to William Penn High School's planned closure. At yesterday’s hearing, Thomas urged the school district to reconsider the proposal.
"Do the right thing," he said. "Invest, not divest in the children of North Philadelphia."
Thomas also used the meeting as an opportunity to thank the community coalition for uniting and working hard for many months to keep a state-of-the-art school in North Philadelphia. Thomas pledged that he and state Sen. Lawrence Farnese, who also supported the coalition’s efforts, would continue to assist with efforts to renovate William Penn High School.
Thomas said William Penn alumni, parents, students, local clergy, elected officials, community advocates and neighborhood residents united to support William Penn High School and speak out against closing the school, which sits on 13 acres in North Philadelphia.
The School District of Philadelphia must now decide whether to renovate the current building or to build a new facility at the current location of William Penn High School. Thomas said he plans to stay involved with that process as it moves forward.
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