This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
The School District will release recommendations for school closings by mid-November and has extended the deadline for high school and transfer applications by about a month to avoid the dilemma of having students applying to schools that will be closing.
"District leadership believes it is imperative to provide families with more time to hear and understand how facilities master plan recommendations may impact their school choices for next year," according to a District press release.
The original deadline for applying to high school or seeking a transfer had been Friday, Nov. 2. It has been extended four weeks to 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 30.
The District’s statement said that the extension is also meant to "make the admissions process easier for parents and students to navigate." Students will be notified of admissions decisions earlier than in the past, the statement said.
Closure recommendations will be posted on the District’s homepage, and letters will be sent home to students impacted by the plans, according to the release.
The recommendations will not necessarily reflect the final decisions. The School Reform Commission will vote in March on which schools to close after individual hearings for each school. It held a series of general informational hearings this fall.
District leaders have said they need to close as many as 57 schools by September 2013 to meet the goals of a five-year financial plan.
For more information, visit the website of the Office of Student Enrollment and Placement or call 215-400-4290.