In her recent piece in The Philadelphia Citizen, Diana Lind characterizes the School District of Philadelphia’s Facilities Master Plan as an exercise in “managed decline.” That framing is not only misleading — it obscures the very real and urgently needed investments the plan is designed to deliver for students across our city.
Let’s be clear: The Facilities Master Plan is not about shrinking Philadelphia’s public education system. It is about finally aligning our physical footprint with decades of demographic change, deferred maintenance, and evolving educational needs — while making substantial, targeted investments in the schools our students will attend for generations to come.
This plan invests — significantly — in modernizing schools
For too long, Philadelphia has asked students and educators to learn and work in aging buildings, many of which were constructed more than 70 years ago and have received only basic maintenance. The Facilities Master Plan directly confronts that reality.
The plan includes billions of dollars in capital investment to modernize 159 school buildings — upgrading HVAC systems, improving accessibility, addressing environmental concerns, and redesigning learning spaces to support 21st-century instruction. These are not cosmetic improvements; they are transformative investments in the daily experience, health, and outcomes of our students.
To suggest that this is “decline” ignores the fundamental truth: Maintaining underutilized, deteriorating buildings at the expense of meaningful investment is the real form of decline.
Right-sizing enables investment — not retreat
Philadelphia’s student population has declined significantly over the past two decades. As a result, the District currently operates far more buildings than it can sustainably maintain or adequately invest in.
The Facilities Master Plan addresses this imbalance. By consolidating where necessary, the District can redirect limited resources toward improving the quality of remaining schools — ensuring that more students benefit from modern, well-equipped learning environments.
This is not a new or radical concept. It is responsible stewardship of public resources in service of students.
The plan includes new construction
Contrary to the implication that the District is only scaling back, the Facilities Master Plan includes substantial growth. This includes building a new state-of-the-art facility for Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush (which will become 5th to 12th grade) at the currently vacant site of the old Fels school. It also includes expanding the buildings and growing the capacity of multiple schools where enrollment is booming. Finally it includes huge investments in new and dynamic spaces such as a Career and Technical Education hub at South Philadelphia High School. This is a clear signal that we are not just preserving the system, but actively rebuilding it where the need is greatest.
New construction represents the highest level of commitment a school system can make. It reflects long-term confidence in a community and a recognition that some existing facilities cannot be retrofitted to meet modern standards.
A student-centered vision for the future
At its core, the Facilities Master Plan is about equity. It is about ensuring that students — regardless of zip code — have access to safe, modern, and inspiring learning environments.
The status quo has failed too many of our children. Continuing to spread resources thinly across too many aging buildings would only perpetuate that failure.
We welcome thoughtful debate about how best to move forward. But that debate must be grounded in facts. Labeling a plan centered on investment, modernization, and strategic growth as “managed decline” may generate headlines — but it does a disservice to the students and families who stand to benefit most from getting this right.
Philadelphia’s children deserve more than rhetoric. They deserve facilities that match their potential. This plan is a critical step toward delivering exactly that.
Oz Hill is Deputy Superintendent of Operations for the School District of Philadelphia.
The Citizen welcomes guest commentary from community members who represent that it is their own work and their own opinion based on true facts that they know firsthand.
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