Letters: Let's not hurry to close schools

SACRIFICING 37 schools - in some of Philadelphia's most deprived neighborhoods, in the name of austerity - is neither necessary nor inevitable.

What we are experiencing in Philadelphia is the latest episode of Gov. Corbett's one-two strategy to starve our school district of resources. This is a manufactured crisis created to impose an extreme national Republican agenda to privatize our schools and pit Pennsylvanians against Pennsylvanians. In the process, Corbett is putting our state up for sale by privatizing a wide array of public services. What's next, our state parks?

This is an ideological attempt to dismantle public services as we know them. That's why the School Reform Commission's attempt to "rationalize" our schools and balance the books on the backs of our children won't only rip out the heart and soul of many of our communities, it will also waste millions of taxpayers' dollars.

In fact, according to a 2011 Pew Charitable Trusts report, "selling or leasing surplus school buildings, many of which are located in 'declining neighborhoods,' is usually extremely difficult." The district projects $28 million in revenues over a five-year period from the sale of unused facilities, but research and past experience suggest this figure may be far less.

In November, the district captured only 62 percent of its asking price for three properties - the John Paul Jones Middle School annex, and the Simon Muhr and Rudolph S. Walton elementary schools. These examples show us that this strategy is not only shortsighted but also harmful to our communities.

In fact, if the SRC carries out its plan, it would not only put our children's future in jeopardy, it may also cut off a critical supply of good jobs to communities already reeling from high unemployment. According to the district's plan, some of the $33 million in "savings" comes with a cost - middle-class jobs that Philadelphia desperately needs.

The truth is that our school district is starved for cash largely because of the failure of the governor and the state Legislature to close tax loopholes for billion-dollar corporations. Corbett doesn't need to look for examples across the aisle. Red states like Montana, North Dakota and Wyoming have avoided deep cuts in education by raising revenue from the oil and gas industry. With one of the lowest drilling-tax or drilling-fee rates in the nation, Pennsylvania should put education first and generate the resources we need to invest in our children's future.

Philadelphians have too many unanswered questions about how the SRC and the Boston Consulting Group, a consulting firm that developed the privatization-focused reform plan behind closed doors, are running this process that is damaging our communities. A five-person appointed board that is not accountable to the people shouldn't be picking winners and losers in our communities.

Converting public schools into corporate-run charters is not even a sound cost-saving strategy. And there is no evidence that allowing charter schools in a district creates competition that improves public schools. In fact, studies show that nearly half of Pennsylvania charter-school students perform significantly worse than students at district-run public schools. We don't need to look very far. Recently, the SRC decided that that the district's oldest charter, the Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School, did not deserve to be renewed because of low test scores and financial problems.

Our communities should have a say in the future of our children. That's why we need a one-year moratorium on school closures - it's clear that the process needs additional community input and research to ensure good schools are not closed. If Philly leaders don't stand up for our kids and stand up to one of the nation's most unpopular governors, then who will?

Remembering Sally

Bob Garvin

Philadelphia