Deal near on keeping Philly school buildings open on weekends

City and school officials were close to a deal Tuesday to keep schools open on weekends, reversing a cost-saving measure to be implemented by the Philadelphia School District starting this week.

Mayor Nutter's spokesman Mark McDonald indicated that an agreement was imminent, with details still to be worked out, that would preserve weekend openings, but not change a new policy of shutting schools earlier, at 8 p.m., on weekdays.

The nearly 7,600 people, almost all children, who use the schools for recreation and other programs on the weekends would be spared, while 4,500 evening users would be shut out by an 8 p.m. weekday closing time.

"The mayor expects to be able to announce something in a day or two regarding our efforts to continue the various sports activities and other activities for the city's young folks through the conclusion of the indoor season," McDonald said.

City Councilman Bobby Henon announced on his Facebook page Tuesday night that a deal was in place, though that news could not be confirmed elsewhere, and Henon could not be reached.

Schools and groups that pay the district for building usage are not affected, but city Department of Recreation programs - basketball, drama, dance, soccer - will be out in the cold effective Saturday if an arrangement is not in place before then.

Philadelphia School District spokesman Fernando Gallard confirmed that the city and district were in talks over the building closures.

"People are in a panic," said Councilman Brian J. O'Neill, whose Northeast Philadelphia district would be particularly hard-hit. "These programs are coming down the stretch. They've sold tickets for plays and dance recitals. We have to work this out."

An example: One Fox Chase drama group has already paid $1,000 for the rights to a production of The Wizard of Oz. Children have been rehearsing for months, and performances are set for late March. The site of the production? Fox Chase Elementary School, a district building.

The closures affect programs throughout the city, but many are in the Northeast because of the high population density there and the relatively low number of public buildings. As O'Neill explains it, when the Northeast began booming in the 1950s and '60s, recreation centers were built with tiny buildings and lots of ball fields. The idea was that programs could use the space in school buildings.

This pay-or-get-out issue has come up multiple times when the district has needed to cut costs, but has never gone this far, O'Neill said. Ultimately, the city foots some school district costs, and the district pays for some city programs, but it has got to balance out, O'Neill said.

"I think it will get worked out," he said. "I believe that by the end of the week, we'll have a situation that's fair for everyone."

Contact staff writer Kristen Graham at 215-854-5146, kgraham@phillynews.com,

or @newskag on Twitter. Read her blog, "Philly School Files,"

at www.philly.com/schoolfiles.