Report: 8 Empty Philadelphia Schools Pose Safety Risks

Eight vacant schools pose public safety risks because of on-site drug use, vandalism or structural issues, and at least one should be demolished immediately, city controller Alan Butkovitz said Tuesday.

A new report by the controller’s office urged school officials to secure the properties – all of which are for sale – and address the problems caused by trespassing and neglect. The district plans to shutter nine more schools in the coming years because of low enrollment.

“Our current review found that the school district continues to allow the majority of its vacant buildings to become neighborhood eyesores and safety hazards,” Butkovitz said at a news conference.

District spokesman Fernando Gallard said school officials “clearly understand the need for these buildings to be safe and sealed” while looking for buyers or new uses. But vigilance is expensive, he said, and the cash-strapped system is still trying to close a $629 million budget gap that has already forced layoffs and program cuts.

“The priority for us right now is the open buildings,” Gallard said.

The controller’s report was spurred by a fire that destroyed the long-vacant Edison High School in August. The district had just sold the property a month before to a private developer, but it had sat empty for more than a decade.

Butkovitz said his office had recommended the building be razed in 2008.

“It was a disaster waiting to happen, and unfortunately, it did happen,” Butkovitz said.

Fearing another catastrophe at the “dilapidated” former Roberto Clemente Middle School, Butkovitz on Tuesday recommended its demolition as well, citing damaged masonry and broken windows.

The building, which hasn’t had students in 13 years, would cost about $800,000 to take down, the report said. Butkovitz estimated the cost for demolishing all eight schools at $5.1 million.

Investigators who visited Clemente and the seven other schools documented unsanitary conditions such as syringes, used condoms, human waste and piles of trash littering the properties. They also noted damaged fencing and police reports of criminal activity at some sites, including vandalism and thefts from the buildings.

Butkovitz said district officials must address these issues before emptying any other schools.

Last month, the district proposed closing nine schools and selling four vacant buildings to reduce excess capacity. None of the four properties was among those examined in the controller’s report.

Butkovitz spokesman Brian Dries said investigators weren’t told of those sites when they asked the district for a list of vacant buildings. Gallard said school officials have yet to formally approve the four buildings for sale.

The report also suggested that the city’s Licenses and Inspections Department look into possible hazardous conditions at the schools.

Agency spokeswoman Maura Kennedy said while the department can notify the district of problems at the sites, ultimately “the responsibility for maintaining the structures lies with the owner.”

Gallard said the district plans to review its policies and procedures for closing buildings as part of its new facilities master plan. The controller’s report will be part of that discussion, he said.

Sales of seven surplus properties over the past six years have brought $26.3 million into district coffers, according to Danielle Floyd, the district’s deputy for strategic initiatives.