Penn-assisted school finally breaks ground

With a hard hat on her head and a shovel in her hand, University President Judith Rodin broke ground on the Penn-assisted public school yesterday afternoon. The groundbreaking celebration attracted top city and University officials, potential students and parents and even some protesters. In the past, construction delays and controversies over the proposed catchment area for the school have postponed the start of the Penn-assisted project. The groundbreaking was originally scheduled for last March. But with construction finally underway at the 42nd and Spruce streets site, the school is slated for a partial opening this fall. It will open its doors for kindergarten and first grade in September, and the remaining grades will be phased in over the next few years. The school is scheduled for a complete opening in the fall of 2002. "With today's groundbreaking, we move closer to our shared goal of creating a network of outstanding public schools in West Philadelphia," Rodin said yesterday. At the ceremony, top city and University officials, shovels in hand, began what will be an 18-month construction process. The University will provide the public school, which will eventually be pre-K-8, with $700,000 annually for a renewable 10-year term. The sum amounts to $1,000 for each of the 700 students projected to attend the school. Penn is also renting the site of the new building to the Philadelphia school district for an ceremonial fee of $1. The district will provide an estimated $18 million to cover construction costs. "[This project] is a means by which we endeavor to make all of the schools in this community better," state Rep. James Roebuck said. "If we fail to do that, then no matter how great this school is, we haven't succeeded in doing what is most important." The process of selecting a principal for the school is underway, with the first round of interviews already complete. According to University Special Projects Coordinator Lucy Kerman, the selection board may soon announce a short list of candidates for the position. The principal will be hired this spring. Once a principal is selected, a staff will be hired and a curriculum instituted. Student enrollment is scheduled to begin mid-March. The Penn-assisted school has forced the relocation of the three institutions previously housed on the 4200 block of Spruce Street. Previously scheduled to relocate to the Calvary Church, the University City New School voted to shut down at the end of the school year due to overwhelming relocation costs. The Penn Children's Center also left its home and moved to the ground floor of the Left Bank apartment complex at 32nd and Walnut streets. The independently owned Parent Infant Center will stay at its current home until 2002, when it will move to make room for the Penn-assisted school building, which is expected to be completed at that time. Area residents arrived at the groundbreaking yesterday with posters to protest what they say is gentrification at work. Neighbors Against McPenntrification, a community activist organization, claimed that the Penn-assisted school will divert funds from an already struggling school district. The group also alleged that the catchment area for the new public school will not reflect the diversity of the surrounding neighborhood. "This school seems like it will have great opportunities for kids that will get to go to it. It's that there are very few kids that will get to go to it," West Philadelphia resident and Neighbors Against McPenntrification member Josie Campbell said. "The neighborhood around here is being displaced. My neighborhood kids aren't going to get to go to this school, because they can't afford the rent, because U. Penn is buying up all the properties... and raising rents," she continued. In her speech, City Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell addressed the controversy over the catchment area. "Even for those who have disagreements with the projects --there were more meetings than I will ever remember about who can attend this school... so we are just glad to see this day finally come," she said. Along with expressing their concerns about funding for surrounding schools, area residents have also protested the tearing down of the 150- to 200-year-old trees previously on the site.