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Year-round school in Philadelphia: List of 25 pilot schools revealed for next year

By and FOX 29 Staff
Updated  June 27, 2024 12:32pm EDT
Philadelphia
FOX 29 Philadelphia

Mayor Cherelle Parker reveals plan for Extended Day, Extended Year School

Mayor Cherelle Parker unveiled new details for her administration's "Extended Day, Extended Year School" initiative Thursday as 25 schools will soon participate in a 2024 pilot program.

PHILADELPHIA - School may be out for summer this year, but that will change for more than two dozen Philadelphia schools very soon.

On Thursday, Mayor Cherelle Parker unveiled new details for her administration's "Extended Day, Extended Year School" initiative.

Schools participating in the 2024 pilot program will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. five days a week, including six weeks during the summer:

School District of Philadelphia schools:

  • Vare-Washington Elementary School
  • Southwark Elementary School
  • Thomas G. Morton Elementary School
  • George Childs Elementary School
  • Add B Anderson Elementary School
  • Alain Locke Elementary School
  • Samuel Gompers Elementary School
  • Overbrook Educational Center
  • Richard R. Wright Elementary School
  • Edward Gideon Elementary School
  • Solomon Solis-Cohen Elementary School
  • John H. Webster Elementary School
  • Juniata Park Academy
  • William Cramp Elementary School
  • Thomas M. Peirce Elementary School
  • Joseph Pennell Elementary School
  • Franklin S. Edmonds Elementary School
  • Laura Carnell Elementary School
  • Louis Farrell Elementary School
  • Joseph Greenberg Elementary School

Charter schools:

  • Belmont Charter School
  • Northwood Charter School
  • Pan American Charter School
  • Mastery Pickett (6-8 only)
  • Universal Creighton Charter School

The program is voluntary for families with students in grades K-8, and will offer programming and specialized enrichment provided by "trusted community partnership."

"Extended Day, Extended Year school is a high-priority initiative that is based on the needs of working parents, closing the opportunity gap and expanding access to enrichment programs," Parker said.

The School District of Philadelphia is partnering with the mayor for the school initiative, which city officials say is jointly funded.

Last month, Superintendent Tony Watlington broke down the timeline for schools across the city:

2024-2025 school year: Extended day classes, summer programs

"For year one, we are looking to expand before and after school and to layer on some enriching activities," Watlington said.

Those activities will also extend into the current summer break to give students "safe, enriching summer experiences."

Beginning 2025: Extended district calendar

The 20 pilot schools will start the school year before the rest of the district, eliminating the longer summer break. However, officials say students will get smaller breaks throughout the year.

"So they won’t go to school 365 days or 300 days a year," Watlington said. "They’ll have holidays, and they’ll have small breaks built in."

Further details, including names of the pilot schools, break schedules and activity offerings have yet to be released.

In the past, Parker has said she wants to put a stop to the "summer slide," where students lose some of their achievement gains during the break.