“Our families deserve a school they can walk to:” Stetson community rallies against closure

Student self-portraits, photos of student clubs, and love letters to the school adorn the walls of John Stetson Middle School. 

Since the district announced its plans to close the school, the community has pushed back fiercely. At a meeting Thursday night, students and educators spoke to the school’s value — despite some infrastructure issues and decreasing enrollment — and a district representative admitted to the district neglecting the school for decades. 

At least 100 school community members, including Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, attended the School District of Philadelphia’s meeting to give feedback on the proposal. Some wore “Save Stetson” t-shirts and pins. Others held signs in protest.

Stetson is one of five schools in the Kensington area that would close, pending school board approval, as part of a districtwide reorganization plan. In total, 20 schools are slated for closure.

The district plans to begin phasing Stetson out in 2027 and to enroll students at Lewis Elkin and William Cramp elementary schools, which would expand to K-8. Stetson would close by the end of the 2029-30 school year, after the current sixth grade class finishes 8th grade. By 2030, the building would be repurposed as a district “swing space,” typically used to temporarily house students while their schools undergo construction. 

In the microphone facing district officials Thursday, every speaker opposed Stetson’s closure.  

Students’ heartfelt statements calling the school home were combined with data and equity concerns from educators who questioned the district’s assessment of building capacity, which contributed to the district’s decision-making. 

“Stetson isn't just a building, it's a community anchor. Our families deserve a school they can walk to,” said Stetson eighth grader Alejandro Alvarado. “How is it equitable to shut a school in a neighborhood that has already lost so much? If this building needs repair, fix it for the children.” 

The district gave Stetson a “poor” designation for program alignment, which it defines as lacking “appropriate spaces for Pre-K, CTE, PE, Special Courses, Arts programs, and Special Education programs.” 

Stetson special education teacher Kathy Lajara challenged the idea that teachers cannot adequately serve their students.

“These conclusions are based on incomplete and misleading information, not on the lived reality of what happens in our building every single day,” Lajara said. “Students do receive physical activity ... in two full-sized gyms ... Students are exposed to art, music and creative expression.” 

According to Lajara, enrichment opportunities are available in the art lab, dance and music rooms, and photography lab with its dark room.

The music and arts programming “is the reason why I feel like I can do things in my life,” said Stetson eighth grader Alexis Rodriguez. 

Lajara said Stetson submitted a formal rebuttal of the district’s data and questioned why the information presented at the meeting had not been updated to reflect the school’s rebuttal.

Deputy Superintendent of Operations Oz Hill said the school’s ranking was not tied to program quality. He also said Elkin and Cramp would undergo Americans with Disability Act improvements, including renovated restrooms and lighting updates intended to support students with sensory needs. 

Staff and students spoke to the quality of Stetson’s education and pointed to what they described as the district’s long-standing neglect of the building, like delays in repairs to the fourth floor, which was closed after infrastructure issues. 

“We fight the dripping water consistently, coming from the roof that you have continued to neglect,” Lajara said. 

Hill acknowledged the district’s failure. 

“I understand, and I want to admit to you that we have neglected this building for decades,” Hill said. 

The room erupted with shouts in agreement.

“How about you decide that our students and community at large are best to invest in?” Lajara said. 

Other concerns included potential overcrowding at Elkin and Cramp and safety issues around combining younger students with teenagers. 

Hill said a K through eighth grade model, which reduces school transitions for students, should create safer environments. The district maintains that students would benefit from continuity of support this model offers. 

The district designated both Cramp and Elkin as underutilized, and Hill said the district intends to keep class sizes the same if Stetson closes. But Stetson math teacher Tairan Zhang said Cramp would exceed 100% capacity, based on the district’s own data, after the closure.

Zhang also said the district described neighborhood vulnerability as a key factor in the decision making process. Stetson was classified by the district as “high risk” — meaning the area has “high social vulnerability” — and Kensington previously lost Sheridan West Middle School in 2013. Chalkbeat Philadelphia reported that nearly half of the schools the district wants to close are in areas it has designated as vulnerable. Previous school closures contribute to a neighborhood's vulnerability ranking. 

 “What that means is that the schools that you propose to be closed face more disinvestment and higher risk outcomes in terms of mortality and overcrowding compared to other schools in Philly, writ large. And so I'm wondering how that arose,” Zhang said. “I'd like to propose that you look back at the data and I’m wondering if you can explain why it seems as though disproportionately schools that are highly vulnerable are the ones being stated to close.” 

Crystal Pritchett, a sixth grade social studies teacher, asked whether she could request an independent audit of the data the district used to make its recommendations. Hill said select staff could meet with the district to review the data. Pritchett also noted that some students would need to walk closer to the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny avenues, and raised concerns about them facing more dangerous walking routes.

“That leads me to believe you know nothing about this community, you aren’t paying attention, and you aren’t listening to the data,” Pritchett said. 

The district has said it will provide transportation for students whose walking routes exceed 1.5 miles from their school. Hill said that if the Pennsylvania Department of Education designates an area hazardous, “we also will do our best to provide transportation.” 

An online petition opposing the closure has drawn over 1,600 signatures. Stetson has already undergone major changes, including transitioning to a charter school and then losing its charter status in 2022. Enrollment fell from 616 students in 2022 to 511 in 2025 — a 17% decrease.

Students thanked Stetson staff for their support and described the school as a safe haven. Eighth grader Jade Colón said she still has high hopes for Stetson. 

“We can make it work. We just need the proper funding for it,” Colón said. “Why not just fix Stetson and keep the students here?” 

Associate Superintendent of School Performance Hilderbrand Pelzer III thanked students for speaking out. 

“Your voice tonight is informing the recommendation,” Pelzer said.  

District spokesperson Monique Braxton said any changes to the proposed plan will be presented to the city’s school board on Feb. 26. The school board must approve the final plan and may make additional changes.