"What would make it better?" asked Cynthia Byrd, 17, on her way into West Philadelphia High School. "Better books. Better equipment. We don't have new things." Fellow senior Michael Cade is behind her.
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West Philadelphia students speak out
On his way into school, Musa Debnam had a brief, but biting, take on the situation.
Contact reporter Kristen Graham
"It's crazy now," said Debnam.
Bichner said that many in the community were watching the school closely.
"There's a lot of anxiety at West Philadelphia High School, and the climate isn't where anybody wants it to be right now," he said. "This is a little bit of a 'show me' decision. We have to show that this was a wise decision, that what we're doing for kids is going to benefit kids."
At Germantown High, where a teacher's neck was broken last month in an assault by a student, a fight between two female students drew police yesterday. The girls, ages 15 and 16, were charged with disorderly conduct, district officials said. One of the girls had Mace but did not use it.
The 15-year-old brother of the 16-year-old girl also was arrested after being found with four bags of marijuana, and a 21-year-old man was charged with trespassing when he was discovered watching the fight, which took place in a school hallway. District officials said yesterday they were unsure how the man got into the school. The incident took place about 1 p.m.
The students face suspension, district officials said.
Contact reporter Kristen Graham
at 215-854-5146 or kgraham@phillynews.com. To comment, or to ask a question, go to http://go.philly.com/schooltalk.
Inquirer staff writer Susan Snyder contributed to this article.
