Hite agrees with parents: Muñoz Marín Elementary will remain a district school

Acting swiftly on parents' wishes, Philadelphia School District Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. on Friday said Luis Muñoz Marín Elementary would not be given to a charter company to run.

Parents voted overwhelmingly - 223-70 - on Thursday for the struggling K-8 school at 3300 N. Third St. to remain a traditional district school. In a separate vote, the school's advisory council voted, 11-0, to reject Aspira of Pennsylvania, the charter company vying to take over the school.

Hite, in a statement, said he was grateful to parents and community members who helped guide the process. He also extended thanks to Aspira.

"Parents and guardians have chosen a path for their school and we are going to support their choice and quickly move forward with the very important work of improving outcomes for students at Muñoz Marín," he said. "Now we must bring together the entire school community in support of our students and teachers."

Hite's decision caps a contentious process, with mudslinging and accusations of wrongdoing on both sides. And it means the two district schools proposed for overhaul by a charter company will not go that route. Parents at Steel Elementary in Nicetown also voted against becoming a charter school, a decision Hite also approved.

Teachers' union president Jerry Jordan said in a statement the parent vote was a victory that sent a clear message to Hite and the SRC: "Fix our schools, don't close them."