December Newsflash
Firm creating plan on community engagement in new school construction
With $1.5 billion earmarked by the School District over the next five years for the building and renovating of some 40 to 50 schools, representatives from New Orleans-based Concordia, a nationally recognized planning and architectural firm, have been spending a lot of time in Philadelphia recently.
But Concordia is not getting School District money. Their presence is part of an $82,500 grant to the Philadelphia Education Fund to develop a blueprint for how a community-based school-planning model would be implemented in the neighborhoods around Kensington and West Philadelphia high schools, both slated for replacement.
The William Penn Foundation, which is overseeing the grant, would like to see the building of institutions that positively impact and contribute to their overall neighborhoods.
“The Foundation views the Capital Program as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for this city, not only to renew the city’s school facilities, but also to find out how schools can contribute to neighborhood renewal,” said Shawn McCaney, program officer for William Penn.
Concordia’s work “involves a scanning of existing conditions and resources within those communities, and then developing – if we executed the plan – how we would do it and how the community would be involved,” McCaney explained.
Concordia maintains that school construction planning too often is done in isolation and is usually prescriptive rather than collaborative.
The effort reflects a growing trend to build schools that foster a sense of ownership, inclusiveness, participation and empowerment in their communities.
Research says student achievement is enhanced in smaller, more personalized environments, is affected by classroom configuration, and flourishes where “school is central to the life and learning of the community, accessible beyond traditional school hours,” according to a report authored by Concordia founder Steven Bingler.
Thus far, four Concordia representatives have been interviewing community leaders, meeting with School District officials, making presentations to organizations, researching existing facilities, and gathering information from other entities that could have a stake in the school communities.
McCaney said Kensington and West Philadelphia
were chosen because the two neighborhoods
are already being targeted by William
Penn efforts.
He added, “Our hope is that there will be support, based on this plan, from the community, School District and local organizations like the Philadelphia Student Union and Youth United for Change. And if there is that commitment, we would consider providing funding toward implementing the plan. But that really is contingent upon the School District’s commitment and support from the community.”
Concordia representative Bobbie Hill, in Philadelphia recently, said she was “encouraged” thus far by the firm’s work here, which McCaney said will continue for another several months.
“Every community has its politics, issues, struggles, and certainly, Philadelphia has plenty,” she said. “But I think the brainpower and the passion and leadership from the public sector, private and not-for-profits, is pretty outstanding. It bodes well for this effort.”
The first two years of the School District’s Capital Plan calls for the building of five new high schools, phasing out middle schools, expanding elementary schools to accommodate between 700 – 900 students in a K-8 structure and constructing five new elementary schools and a number of additions, according to the District.