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Dear School District of Philadelphia Parents & Families,

Today, the School District of Philadelphia announced the launch of its Facilities Planning Process (FPP), marking a critical step toward realizing its vision for all children to have access to a great school. School buildings play a crucial role in supporting student achievement so we must thoughtfully and proactively plan not only for new school buildings but for what must be done with our existing school buildings so students have access to learning environments that spark creativity, support academic programs, and meet their 21st-century learning needs.

The process starts with intensive school-level assessments, led by industry experts, that together provide a strategic, system-wide look at our existing school buildings and programs, and how populations and communities across our city are projected to change in the coming years. This data is used to identify the specific challenges our school buildings are facing or are expected to face in the coming years, and inform recommendations to address these challenges as part of the District’s long-term Facilities Master Plan. This plan, which will be available in the Spring of 2023, will prioritize investment spending that aligns learning environments with evolving community, facility and educational needs.

Facilities planning is a process we are committed to doing in partnership with our families and school communities. To kickoff our engagement efforts, we are inviting all members of our community to participate in one of several Community Conversations from May 10-25, 2022, where you can learn more about the FPP, get a high level overview of the data being used in the process, and share thoughts on what the District should take into consideration when making decisions about facilities. To register for one of these sessions and to learn more about the FPP, please visit philasd.org/facilitiesplanning.

We look forward to seeing you at an upcoming Community Conversation.

Sincerely,

William R. Hite Jr., Ed.D.
Superintendent
The School District of Philadelphia