Category: Philadelphia School Board

Failing Charter Schools Sue to Remain Open

Board of Education Action Meeting:  June 18, 2026

by Lisa Haver

“It is with a heavy heart”, Board of Education President Reginald Streater said, then he cast his vote to initiate non-renewal proceedings for Global Leadership Academy at Huey. Non-renewal for Renaissance charters does not mean school closure. It reverts management of the school back to the district. Is Streater sad that GLA administrators will lose control of the school and its finances? Streater did not express any sadness when he voted to close 17 public schools in April. He had no words of comfort for the students who came to the board who tried in vain to explain how devastating the loss of their schools would be. The board’s decisions on charter renewals shows its consideration for the business interests of the administrators over the best interests of the children who attend those schools. Although the agenda contained 52 action items, most of the board’s deliberation at this meeting focused on a few charter schools. Streater gave no explanation for why the board last week moved the scheduled June 25 action meeting to June 18.

Continue reading here about June 18, 2026 action meeting.

https://appsphilly.net/failing-charter-schools-sue-to-remain-open/

Board Passes $4.9 Billion Budget, Community Questions Priorities

by Lisa Haver

Board of Education Action Meeting, May 28, 2026

APPS member Deborah Grill testifies at May 28 Board of Education meeting. (Photo: Lisa Haver)

As a result of the Board of Education’s speaker suppression policies, over half of the 30 public speakers were representatives of charter schools, 6 from the same school. Several charter CEOs, who have daily access to the board’s Charter Schools Office, took speaker slots, including both Global Leadership Academy CEOs. Recent IRS information shows the GLA CEO making over $500,000 in annual salary/compensation/bonus; GLA Huey CEO made $378,000. Although APPS has raised these issues for years, the board says little about exorbitant administrative salaries, questionable financial practices, and failure to reach minimum academic ratings. In fact, the board exempted the entire charter sector from its $3 billion, ten-year Facilities Master Plan. 

Board Passes $4.6 Budget
The board voted 8-0 to pass the administration’s combined $4.6 billion budget for FY 2026-27 in Item 12 (BM Wanda Novales was absent). The board passed Item 15 by a vote of 7-1, approving the Amended Capital Budget for FY 2025-26, adoption of a Capital Budget for FY 2026-27, and a Capital Program for 2027-32. BM ChauWing Lam voted No on Item 15, citing some “lingering questions”. The 5-year Capital Improvement Plan includes some projects proposed in the Facilities Master Plan (FMP) passed by the board last month. Lam questioned Deputy Superintendent of Operations Oz HIll about why the budget details as presented to the board did not include construction of the new high school in the Northeast that was proposed in the FMP. Hill responded that as yet there was no funding for the school. Actually that is true of most of the projects in the FMP. APPS’ analysis of the FMP shows that at least ⅔ of the funding would come from additional revenues from the state (even though the budget presented at this meeting shows lower revenue from the state) and from unnamed philanthropic sources. BM Whitney Jones, who voted No on the FMP, remarked that the administration’s “intentions are exceeding revenues” and asked how they would fulfill the specific promises of the FMP. He asked Board President Reginald Streater to allow for regular updates on those metrics.

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Board Votes in Private Meeting to Approve Facilities Plan

Board of Education Action Meeting: April 23 and April 30, 2026

by Lisa Haver

APPS members protest at April 30 Board of Education meeting. (Photo: Lisa Haver)

At the April 30 action meeting, board members finally addressed their constituents on the district’s proposed Facilities Master Plan. Some had attended the public meetings held over the past 18 months  as observers. They did not respond to  testimony given by students, parents, educators and community members at board meetings and town halls over the past 3 months. Not until this meeting, continued from April 23, did board members disclose their positions on the plan. Board President Reginald Streater, on the other hand, had made his position clear early in the process, before public meetings had ended, in City Council hearings and in an Inquirer op-ed.The district brought in heavy police protection, including bike cops who lined up outside the board’s first floor office. An additional metal detector was set up outside the auditorium. Philadelphia police blocked some elected officials from entering the auditorium. Some on the speaker list were able to access microphones, others were not. In the end, most board members betrayed their constituents, voting to pass a plan that had close to 100% opposition. The board of education is unelected and unaccountable. If the plan fails, there is no mechanism by which they can be held responsible.

Continue reading about April 30 board meeting here.

The People Have Spoken: Ditch the Facilities Plan

Board of Education Action Meeting:  March 26, 2026

by Lisa Haver

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Ludlow Elementary parent Shaakira Jones, with daughter, urges board to vote No on facilities plan and closing of Ludlow. (Photo: Lisa Haver)

“The truth is, this plan was created by too many people who are not from here and do not understand this wonderful and complicated city.” 
APPS Member Kristin Luebbert

Students, parents, teachers, graduates and community members returned to the board of education with one message: We love our schools. Do not close them. The board has heard this same message from hundreds of people at board meetings, town halls, City Council hearings, district community meetings, and from the thousands who responded to district surveys. Yet the board has still not said when it will take the vote. At the March 12 town hall, 125 people spoke against the recommendations in the plan; one parent from another school testified in favor of the changes recommended for Moffett Elementary.  At this meeting, one Masterman staff person endorsed the plan’s recommendation to expand Masterman; she didn’t mention that this necessitated the closing of Waring elementary to make room for the magnet school students. So perhaps it’s more accurate to say no one wants this plan–except for two people who want disruptions at schools other than theirs. The people have spoken: the board must reject this Facilities Master Plan. 

Read more about the March 26, 2026 Action Meeting here