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As of late last month, as many as five schools in Philadelphia were forced to shut their doors , throwing a wrench into instructional schedules and the lives of parents who suddenly found themselves with kids at home.

Philadelphia Board of Education President Reginald Streater, whose children attend one of the shuttered schools, C.W. Henry Elementary in the city鈥檚 Mount Airy neighborhood, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that the issues at Henry and other city schools were the result of decades of inattention.

Streater asked parents 鈥渇or grace as we continue to tackle this issue that has been a hundred years in the making,鈥� according to the Inquirer.

Last week, local leaders from across the state took that effort to Harrisburg, where they called on lawmakers and the Democratic Shapiro administration to spend $5 billion over the next five years to protect students from lead, asbestos, and other environmental hazards.

鈥淢y children, my grandchildren, and all of Pennsylvania鈥檚 children deserve safe schools where they can thrive,鈥� Philadelphia City Councilmember Kendra Brooks, who led the effort, said in a statement. 鈥淲ith over $13 billion in available funding, we can afford to make Pennsylvania schools safe for all children. We can afford to invest $5 billion over 5 years for their safety and their future.鈥�

The money the local leaders are seeking is  that Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed for environmental abatement in the in the $44.4 billion spending plan he rolled out in March.

The Democratic governor鈥檚 spending proposal for the fiscal year that starts July 1 includes . But faced with a state court ruling declaring Pennsylvania , some education advocates .

Faced with that , one member of Philadelphia鈥檚 City Council has said 鈥渢he moment is now鈥� to create an independent authority to handle school building construction and renovation instead of the school district.

Isaiah Thomas, who chairs the council鈥檚 education committee,  to hold hearings on creating such an authority, Chalkbeat Philadelphia reported.

Speaking to Chalkbeat, Thomas stressed the urgency of immediate action.

鈥淚f we can鈥檛 get this done in this budget cycle, I鈥檓 not sure that we鈥檒l ever get the type of down payment that we need to really put a dent in the issue,鈥� Thomas said. 鈥淚f we wait until June, or July, it might actually be too late.鈥�

In Harrisburg, local leaders and state lawmakers also stressed the importance of swift action. Bills before the state House and Senate would restart state funding for 鈥淧lan Con,鈥� the state鈥檚 school facilities funding program, which has not received an infusion of new money since 2016.

鈥淎ging infrastructure and decades of inadequate funding have meant that maintenance on schools has been deferred and delayed. But a leaky roof doesn鈥檛 fix itself. With billions sitting in the treasury, it鈥檚 finally time to invest in our children,鈥� said Rep. Elizabeth Fiedler, D-Philadelphia, who鈥檚 sponsoring the .

On the other side of the Capitol, Sen. Tim Kearney, D-Delaware, is  of the bill.

According to the local officials, two-thirds (66%) of Pennsylvania鈥檚 school buildings were built before 1970, and are likely to contain asbestos.

In addition, more than 100 schools in 30 school districts have found lead in their drinking water in recent years. To mitigate those issues, districts have taken on additional debt, or have been forced to close some schools entirely.

A bipartisan trio of lawmakers in the state Senate are circulating a bill  with lead-filtering water stations by 2025.

鈥淚t is criminal to have students and teachers in an unsafe environment,鈥� Allentown school board member LaTarsha Brown said. 鈥淭his is the time to invest in our youth for a brighter future. We know the funding is there, and we are demanding that you be a change agent for education and support funding new public school buildings.鈥�

With the state sitting on an anticipated budget surplus of $8 billion, and another $5 billion in the commonwealth鈥檚 Rainy Day Fund savings account, the local leaders said there鈥檚 plenty of money to get the job done.

The state money, they argued, would free up local cash currently going to debt service for instructional needs. The burst of construction also would create jobs in their communities.

鈥淚n 2023, it is unacceptable to still have school buildings that go without air conditioning in the hot months, vital capital improvements that are financially out of reach, and conditions in schools that put the health and safety of our students at risk,鈥� Reading school board memberMark Detterline, said.

鈥淭his union of leaders from across the state proves how far-reaching and immediate the need is,鈥� Detterline continued. 鈥淲e all know that the Commonwealth has the resources and the ability to allocate the funds to remediate these issues 鈥� now is the time to do it.鈥�

is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Pennsylvania Capital-Star maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor John Micek for questions: [email protected]. Follow Pennsylvania Capital-Star on and .

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