This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
by Aaron Moselle for NewsWorks
Vocational-training facility. Retirement community. Cultural center.
Those were just some of the new uses for Germantown High School’s building that were discussed Friday during "What’s Next? A Forum on the Future of Germantown High," a panel event co-sponsored by NewsWorks content partner NBC 10 and hosted by Solomon Jones.
The background
In early March, the city’s School Reform Commission voted to close Germantown, following a recommendation that was part of the district’s Facilities Master Plan, an effort aimed at addressing an ongoing budget crisis and improving the education that students receive.
Germantown is one of 24 city schools slated to close after the end of the academic year, which is nine weeks away.
Residents and community leaders were invited to First United Methodist Church of Germantown on Friday for a conversation about what should be done with the 99-year-old building after the final bell rings.