What IS Happening at SLA's New Location?
Calder Burke (9-1)
Photographed by Theo Wyss-Flamm (12-4)
With the beginning of the school year came much anticipation regarding Masterman's newest magnet school neighbor, Science Leadership Academy (SLA). SLA left its old building location at 22nd and Arch with the change of the school year, moving into its new shared Spring Garden building, the longtime home of Benjamin Franklin High School.
After less than a month of school, SLA and Franklin closed again on October 1st, after asbestos, (a cancer and disease-causing material,) was found in an unoccupied boiler room, as well as SLA's commons area. This discovery of asbestos, paired with the already dangerous renovation conditions of the SLA/Ben Franklin building, resulted in large outcry from the community of both schools. Shortly after, Philadelphia School District Superintendent Dr. William Hite Jr. announced that the building would remain closed for the foreseeable future. “We’re not taking any chances,” said Dr. Hite. “If asbestos is in the building and construction is disturbing asbestos to the degree it is unhealthy, we’re not going to put children or staff at risk.”
Two town hall meetings were held at the School District’s 440 North Broad Street headquarters on October 7th, to discuss possible locations for the nearly 1,000 displaced students to learn. One school brought up was Strawberry Mansion High School, to the disapproval of many SLA families, with one parent exclaiming a loud “Hell no,” accompanied by multiple “threats” to transfer students out of SLA. The general consensus throughout the SLA community was that, since the School District rushed the construction at their school, the students should have access to the district’s headquarters.
Prior to the 5:30 P.M. meeting, a rally was held to show support for the communities of the schools affected, as well as to bring awareness to the general condition and treatment of schools in the Philadelphia School District. Speeches were delivered by multiple students, as well as State Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, City Council member Helen Gym, and State Sen. Vincent Hughes.
After SLA/Ben Franklin students had gone more than two weeks without school, the School District announced on October 10th that Ben Franklin students would be relocated to the abandoned KHEPERA Charter School, and SLA students would split their campus between the 440 building and Congregation Rodeph Shalom, a nearby synagogue. Both locations chosen were the number one picks of the Ben Franklin and SLA communities, and, as of October 14th, both schools were back in session.
Although school resumed, some obvious concerns still remained, as SLA was originally provided with only two classrooms in the 440 building for the entire school. In addition, transportation for Ben Franklin students proved a challenge, as Ben Franklin is a local neighborhood school, and the KHEPERA building is multiple blocks north of Ben Franklin’s original location.
Concerns linger, and while SLA/Ben Franklin’s building remains closed until early January, the School District has only been able to somewhat successfully relocate a failed relocation.