COLUMN: A misues of Penn's money

From Mark Fiore's, "The Right Stuff," Fall '99 From Mark Fiore's, "The Right Stuff," Fall '99The University's plan to build a new preK-8 public school in University City seems to be gaining momentum, especially with the announcement last month of a $325,000 grant from the Pew Charitable Trusts. The school, which will be located at 42nd and Spruce streets and is scheduled to open in September 2001, is a misguided joint venture between Penn, the School District of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. The University will fork out $1,000 for each of the 700 students that will attend the school for each of the next 10 years. That's an overwhelming total of $7 million -- far too much for a project that does not directly benefit Penn students. But the costs don't end there. While Penn is not funding construction of the new school, the University is providing the building site for the project free of charge. Penn will also aid the district in relocating the overcrowded Carver High School for Engineering and Science from its current location at 17th and Norris streets. Again, the University will give up a chunk of land at the corner of 38th and Market streets, this time for a nominal fee. What Penn is losing financially for giving up such plots of land is unclear but one must assume that the loss is substantial. Penn has also pledged to subsidize the relocation of the three institutions at 42nd and Spruce streets -- the University City New School, the Parent Infant Center and the Penn Children's Center -- that will be displaced by the new school. Such moves won't come cheap. While Steve Schutt, University President Judith Rodin's chief of staff, said in November that exact figures were not available, he noted, "I would certainly expect there will be costs involved that we can help with." Add it all up, and you have one monstrous charity case. What does the University -- and most importantly, its main consumers, the student body -- get directly in return? Nothing. In an update published in the January 26 issue of the Almanac, University officials involved with the project outlined the school's goals: to promote high student achievement and professional development for teachers; to offer a rich variety of community programming activities; to have a local governing board comprised of parents, teachers, the school's principal and Penn representatives; to serve a maximum of 700 children on a piece of land donated by Penn; and to receive $1,000 per student annually from the University. Nowhere does any mention of a benefit to Penn students occur. Indeed, it seems that no benefit could occur, with the exception of some Graduate School of Education students who will take advantage of the facility. It seems the University has gotten its purpose confused. The mission of a university should be to instruct talented individuals who have completed and excelled in high school -- not individuals who haven't even reached high school. After all, spending millions of dollars on Penn students -- who have already proven that they can succeed -- is a much better investment than giving handouts to West Philadelphia kids, many of whom aren't even teenagers yet. Yet officials claim that the school -- as well as efforts like the initiative to attract more professors to West Philadelphia houses -- will benefit Penn by improving the surrounding community. Although the jury is still out on such measures, one must remain skeptical that teaching inner-city kids will improve the lives of Penn students. Better options for spending the $7 million at Penn are endless. Facilities like Bennett Hall are in desperate need of structural and technological improvements, while the School of Arts and Sciences is constantly struggling with its budget. Many departments could use more professors and students complain regularly that tuition is too high. Any of these alternatives -- and many others besides -- is far more suited to a multi-million dollar expenditure than a school that will be run by the beleaguered Philadelphia public schools system. Yet Rodin and her loyalists are pushing forward. In announcing the initiative last June, Rodin said, "This is a partnership that holds incredible promise for the children of West Philadelphia." Sadly, it holds no promise for the students of Penn.