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Many Parents, Teachers, Students Attend Philadelphia School District Planning Meeting

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The first of a series of planned community meetings took place Saturday in Roxborough on the Philadelphia School District's plan to close nine schools and reconfigure dozens of others.

About 100 parents, teachers and students were in Roxborough High School's auditorium hearing school district representatives talk about recommendations for improving education through grade changes, relocations and closures.

"We got to be better positioned. We got to offer stronger reasons to come to school and stay in school but we also have to make sure that the buildings are safe and secure. This is about spreading capital but also to offer the educational program as the first option," says Lee Nunery, acting superintendent of Philadelphia's public schools.

"We are just asking them to please let us stay," says an attendee.

Many in attendance were wearing red t-shirts that read" "Levering Elementary School Educating children since 1748!"

The school is on the proposed closure list.

The meetings will be conducted at various locations through February and the School Reform Commission (SRC) will vote on the recommendations in March.

A full list of meetings can be found at www.philasd.org/fmp.

Reported By John McDevitt, KYW Newsradio

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