All Philadelphia public school buildings will remain closed through the end of the 2019-2020 academic year, according to an announcement on Thursday by the School District of Philadelphia. This decision was made in compliance with a new directive by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf, in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

Instruction and learning will soon begin remotely. A “review and enrichment learning phase” for all students will take place for two weeks beginning April 20. Instruction will continue beginning May 4 with new lessons in all content areas, aligned to grade-level standards made available to teachers on a weekly basis.  Continue Reading

All Philadelphia public schools will remain closed indefinitely in an effort to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in compliance with Gov. Tom Wolf’s latest order.

The School District will still observe Spring Break, from April 6-9, and Good Friday on April 10 when offices will be closed. Meals and learning guides will continue to be available for students at the 49 School District meal distribution sites on Monday, April 6 and Thursday, April 9.  Continue Reading

All schools in Pennsylvania will remain closed until at least April 6th, according to a new order issued by Gov. Tom Wolf. This includes all schools in the School District of Philadelphia. The previous order shut down schools through March 27, but in light of the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the state (644 total cases were reported on Monday) it was expected to be extended.

In Philadelphia, a $9 million small business relief fund was announced on Monday. The City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corporation (PIDC) launched the fund, which will provide grants and loans to small businesses affected by the pandemic. The fund helps businesses with less than $5 million in annual revenue.  Continue Reading

The City of Philadelphia has posted locations where students can find free weekday meals and recreation opportunities over the next couple of weeks. The School District of Philadelphia announced yesterday that schools will be closed through March 27.

The full, citywide list can be found here.

The city is working with non-profits to identify locations like food pantries that will be open on weekends.

In West and Southwest Philly, up to two “shelf-stable” meals are available at the following schools Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to noon:  Continue Reading

The School District of Philadelphia has announced that all public schools will be closed starting Monday, March 16 through Friday, March 27.

The decision to close schools was made in light of Governor Wolf’s decision to limit non-essential travel for Delaware and Montgomery county residents that has created a significant staffing challenge for the School District.

“This is a difficult decision for the District and the City, and we do so in full recognition of the hardships this may cause for many families,” said Brian Abernathy, Managing Director for the City of Philadelphia. “The City is rapidly developing plans to provide comprehensive support to students and families who are challenged by the closure.”  Continue Reading

UPDATE: West Philadelphia High School and 62 other public schools will be closed tomorrow (Friday, March 13) due to staffing shortage after Governor Wolf’s announcement earlier today regarding measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus in Montgomery County. Eleven percent of Philadelphia School District employees live in Montgomery County.

On Thursday, the School District of Philadelphia announced a plan that should help keep its students and staff safer as the COVID-19 (coronavirus) public health matter evolves. Beginning Friday, March 13, activities where large groups are gathered will be limited, including athletic contests, plays, concerts, as well as work-related travel for staff and school-sponsored trips through spring break.

Athletic practices will be permitted, but games will be postponed until further notice. All school-sponsored trips and work-related travel is postponed at this time unless approved by the superintendent.  Continue Reading