Healthy Schools

The School District of Philadelphia is fully committed to supporting clean, safe and welcoming learning environments for every student and every staff member. 

Environmental Management

The Environmental Safety Improvement Plan

To accelerate the improvement of environmental conditions in our schools, we are taking initial actions to:

  • Better identify concerns, increase our responsiveness, and address known asbestos issues
  • More proactively and effectively manage environmental safety and capital projects
  • Better educate and empower our staff and community about environmental safety in our schools

Download the plan to learn more about how we’re achieving these goals, here:
November 2019 update

December 2019 update

January 2020 update PPT    January 2020 flyer

February 2020 update PPT   February 2020 Update PPT Espanol   February 2020 flyer

Defining the Challenge - Detailing our Needs

We are making progress toward a clean, safe and welcoming learning environment for every student, but there’s more to be done. This document explains what the District needs in order to give our students and staff all that they deserve.

Environmental Advisory Council

The School District of Philadelphia’s Office of Environmental Management Services (OEMS), under direct supervision and guidance from the Chief Operations Officer, is tasked with overseeing, evaluating, and reducing the risk of environmental hazards in our schools.

The purpose of the EAC is to engage representatives from across our city in the conversation about our progress and plans to address environmental conditions such as asbestos and lead in our schools. The District’s Office of Environmental Management & Services (OEMS) will provide the EAC with quarterly updates, listen to members’ feedback for consideration, and respond to questions that they may have so they can be informed advocates of this work in their communities.

Capital Improvements

New! $500 Million in Capital Funds

In October 2019, the School District borrowed an additional $500 million in capital funds to support the next phase of school improvements. To support these projects, the District will be hiring a new Program Management firm by February 2020 that will partner with the Operations Team and provide comprehensive project management, design, and communications support.

Environmental Safety Translations

Use the button below to review translated environmental safety documents.