Title
Authorizing the Council Committees on Education and Finance to hold hearings for the purpose of taking testimony from the Board of Education of the School District of Philadelphia and Superintendent David Hornbeck on their plans for major capital renovations of the School District of Philadelphia's public school buildings and facilities including, but not limited to: a comprehensive report providing an assessment of the condition of school buildings and facilities; the need to construct new schools, additions, annexes, improved playgrounds, athletic fields, computer and science labs; to analyze the public school district's system of determining the growth of student population, the allocation of space and the need for future additional school buildings and facilities; to determine the extent of ongoing school maintenance; and to review and analyze the public school capital improvement programs of other cities and school districts; and to discuss the costs of a fully funded capital improvement program and analyze capital funding options, including, but not limited to, newly state authorized capital facilities tax revenues, combined support from the City and School District capital budgets, current state government programs, and proposed federal government programs for the purpose of ensuring that the City of Philadelphia's public school buildings and facilities are "world class" edifices of education.
Body
WHEREAS, The City's public school buildings and facilities are in critical need of repair as dilapidated, aging school buildings exhibit obvious signs of serious neglect and pose a serious threat to public safety; and
WHEREAS, Many of the City's public schools suffer from severe overcrowding which negatively impacts a child's learning environment; and
WHEREAS, It is important to assess and determine the condition of all existing City public school facilities to correctly determine the extent that each requires capital investment to improve, re...
Click here for full text