Spatial Consequences of Philadelphia’s Shifting School Enrollments

Posted by on March 05, 2012

POLICY BRIEF: FROM NEIGHBORHOOD SCHOOLS TO CHARTER SCHOOLS
The Spatial Consequences of Philadelphia’s Shifting Enrollments

Philadelphia’s Mayor Michael Nutter has identified the rebuilding of the city’s education system, along
with fighting crime and violence, as the highest priorities of his second term in office. The education
crisis was pushed to the top of the list of policy priorities by the turmoil surrounding the departure of
Superintendent Arlene Ackerman and the massive deficits in the 2011-2012 budget of the School District
of Philadelphia (SDP).

Among the factors contributing to the education crisis is a substantial drop in enrollments in school
buildings across the city. Many buildings, along with their teaching and administrative staffs, have been
serving declining numbers of students year after year, creating growing inefficiencies in the district’s
operation. Even in cases where the district can collapse enrollments into fewer classes to reduce the need
for teachers, it must still pay for maintenance, utilities, and debt service on the buildings.

http://mpip.temple.edu/mpip/documents/Policy_Brief_Charter_Schools.pdf