As part of Phase 8 of the Facilities Planning Process, District staff held informational town halls and stakeholder feedback sessions in November–December 2024. All stakeholder groups were also invited to share feedback via a survey.
Facilities Planning Process: A Summary of Stakeholder Feedback
32
Facilities feedback sessions
527+
Facilities feedback session participants
5,788
Facilities survey participants
Who provided feedback?
Participants by Role in SDP
| Role in SDP | Facilities Feedback sessions participants | School Building Stakeholder Feedback Survey participants | Total participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students | 18 | 524 | 542 |
| Parents/guardians/family members | 258 | 2,369 | 2,627 |
| Teachers | 115 | 1,742 | 1,857 |
| School leaders | 24 | 203 | 227 |
| Other school-based staff | 31 | 756 | 787 |
| Central Office/non-school-based staff | 9 | 76 | 85 |
| Community members and partners | 72 | 118 | 190 |
Note: 10 feedback session participants and 1,026 survey respondents did not provide race/ethnicity information.
Participants by Race/Ethnicity
| Race/ethnicity | Facilities Feedback sessions participants | School Building Stakeholder Feedback Survey participants | Total participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian American, Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander | 25 | 255 | 280 |
| Black/African American | 180 | 1,341 | 1,521 |
| Hispanic/Latinx/Latine | 51 | 434 | 485 |
| Multi-racial/other/not listed | 2 | 505 | 507 |
| White | 259 | 2,242 | 2,501 |
Facilities survey participants were asked about their priorities for improvement.
Academic Spaces
Percentage of participants that selected “high priority”
School Climate/Environment
Percentage of participants that selected “high priority”
External Spaces and Security
Percentage of participants that selected “high priority”
Facilities survey participants were asked whether their school buildings and grounds met their expectations.
Students
524 respondents
Parents/Guardians
2,369 respondents
Teachers
1,742 respondents
School-Based Staff
756 respondents
A number of key topics emerged from the facilities feedback sessions. They are listed below in order of how often they were mentioned.
Click on a topic below to see how many times it was mentioned and to learn more about what was said.
1 | Capital and Environmental Investments
There were 333 comments about Capital and Environmental Investments.
Click on the plus sign next to each subtopic in this section to see how many times it was mentioned and to learn more about what was said.
Equity
There were 128 comments about Equity.
- Students of color are impacted the most by school closures; people from affluent communities should be equally impacted.
- Diversity of learners and how they are supported must be considered—those who are neurodiverse, those who have IEPs, English learners, and students who need extra behavior support must have educational opportunities equal to other students.
- Students should have access to good facilities regardless of where they live, and the facilities should be accessible to all.
- Consider improvements to all school types, not just traditional schools, such as those who service students who are overage, under credited, who are coming back to school, and who are evening learners.
Need for Clarity and Transparency in the Planning Process
There were 81 comments about Clarity & Transparency.
- Stakeholders emphasized the need for community input into the school closure process, and expressed concern over the impact of school closures on communities.
- There are many questions around the consequences of closing schools, such as what happens to buildings, student attendance, long-term impacts on students, and schools where they are “making it work.”
Facilities-Related Impediments to Teaching and Learning
There were 41 comments about Impediments to Teaching and Learning.
- Facilities that are overcrowded or in disrepair directly impede teaching and learning, including but not limited to art, music, PE, Pre-K, and CTE.
Safety/Security
There were 39 comments about Safety/Security.
- There are concerns about school layouts (especially during emergencies), the amount of staff (e.g., nurses), and who will be verifying that things are safe.
- Stakeholders voiced safety concerns about co-locations and merging schools, as well as how and whether safety and security is surveilled.
- Safety and security issues concern both the school itself and things outside of the school such as disorganized traffic patterns, lack of crossing guards, and drug activity in the neighborhood.
Heating and Cooling
There were 31 comments about Heating and Cooling.
- Buildings need proper heating and cooling systems, which often include electrical upgrades.
- Stakeholders are also concerned about proper timing and monitoring of upgrades.
Hazardous Materials Remediation
There were 13 comments about Hazardous Materials Remediation.
- Health is a concern because of building conditions, including the presence of asbestos, pests, mold, and emissions.
2 | Overcrowding
There were 94 comments about Overcrowding.
- Buildings and classes are over capacity with teachers having to struggle to make it through crowded hallways, resulting in less teaching. There are not enough bathrooms for students and teachers.
- There are concerns about the electric grid capacity with the number of Chromebooks.
- Remember that there are additional programs in schools aside from traditional SDP students who may be affected.
- It’s difficult to service ESOL students appropriately when buildings are overenrolled.
- Solutions are needed to overcrowding by August.
- Overcrowding is leading to mental health issues in students like anxiety.
- It is difficult for both students and teachers with such crowded conditions.
3 | Programming
There were 85 comments about Programming.
- Stakeholders want existing and potential opportunities for quality programming to be prioritized in decisions about facilities.
- Stakeholders specified wanting more opportunities in the areas of:
- Career and technical education (CTE)
- The arts
- Sports
- Academics
- STEM
- Afterschool
- Social-emotional learning (SEL)/mindfulness
4 | Cleanliness and Maintenance
There were 59 comments about Cleanliness and Maintenance.
- Stakeholders pointed to the need for more staff to clean common areas within schools.
- Stakeholders expressed a need for a plan to maintain school facilities.
- Stakeholders emphasized the importance of tracking progress on relevant maintenance tasks.
5 | New Buildings
There were 34 comments about New Buildings
- Stakeholders spoke to using funds to invest in additional buildings or schools.
- Stakeholders spoke to making sure the schools are sustainable and have similar spaces as surrounding districts.
6 | Geography
There were 31 comments about Geography.
- Stakeholders emphasized the important role of neighborhood schools, including in:
- Maintaining strong attendance
- Decreasing children’s time spent on buses
- Keeping students in the district
7 | Community
There were 24 comments about Community.
- Stakeholders spoke to the important role that schools play in the fabric of the larger community, specifically:
- Partnering with community rec centers
- Letting the community use some of the school property on the weekends such as basketball courts and parking lots
- Having more community partnerships to increase the positive perception of a school
8 | Modernization
There were 21 comments about Modernization.
- There are many ways the schools need to be modernized, including:
- Electrical and wifi upgrades
- Auditoriums
- Lunch rooms
- Classrooms
- School yards
- Parking lots
9 | Underutilization
There were 21 comments about Underutilization.
- Stakeholders are concerned about schools being incorrectly labeled as under capacity, and also concerned that the benefits of small schools and class sizes are not being recognized.
- Stakeholders are interested in creative, community-focused solutions for repurposing buildings.
- One stakeholder pointed out that if schools are repaired or renovated, they will attract increased enrollment.
Additional Concerns
There were 74 comments addressing Additional Concerns.
- Negative Climate/Staff Morale: Poor building conditions can negatively affect staff morale, which then impacts teacher retention.
- Stakeholders are interested in creative, community-focused solutions for underutilized buildings.
- Students raised concerns about having something at the school, but not have access to it (e.g., elevators, bathrooms, desks/chairs for classes).
- Students would like additional spaces for things like being able to de-stress and have recess.
During Dr. Watlington’s 2022 Listening & Learning tour, stakeholders also highlighted facilities as a key issue. You can find a summary of Listening & Learning tour feedback about facilities here.
The Philly School Experience Survey also asks students about their school building conditions each year.
My building is in good condition.
Percentage of students who said their school building was in good condition “most or all of the time”; District and alternative schools, 2023-24
To explore more Philly School Experience Survey results, visit our website: philasd.org/pses
Building Condition subtopic scores by school
Bluer circles indicate higher scores, and redder circles indicate lower scores; District and alternative schools, 2023-24
