City and school district officials have  reached an agreement to keep gyms and theaters in public schools open on afternoons and weekends. Cost-cutting plans announced amid the district’s $61 million shortfall included closing the facilities at the end of the school day.

Forty-eight schools will keep their extra-curricular doors open after hours through Saturday, March 17, according to Thursday’s announcement from the city. Twenty-five of those schools are in the Northeast: continue reading »

First of all, CBS3, 19124 is not Mayfair.

Somehow every news outlet in Philadelphia but you managed to determine that Large and Pratt streets intersect in Northwood.

Not Mayfair.

So when a 10-year-old was hit by a car after school, and CBS rushed to alert everyone that a Mayfair child had been struck, parents in that neighborhood had to scramble to account for their kids. continue reading »

Northeast High School. Image/Google Maps

Public schools in Northeast Philadelphia use about 94 percent of their available space. That’s more than the 67 percent most School District of Philadelphia facilities use and more than the 80 percent the district confers.

The overcrowding issue was a big one for school officials and parents who attended a meeting earlier this month at Northeast High School. It’s one of 17 the district is holding following the release of its facilities master plan, and the second in the Northeast. continue reading »

The School District of Philadelphia recommends grade reconfigurations for Stearne School in Frankford and Lawton School in Wissinoming.

The School District of Philadelphia announced at Wednesday School Reform Commission meeting the recommended closure of nine city schools and reconfigurations to 17 others.

None of those closures are meant for Northeast schools, but two are part of the grade reconfigurations outlined in the district’s facilities master plan. Though specific plans for the schools haven’t been made clear, Henry W. Lawton School in Wissinoming and Allen M. Stearne School in Frankford both need reconfigurations, according to the district. continue reading »

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has released its annual list of Persistently Dangerous Schools.

While the School District of Philadelphia cut its number of dangerous schools by almost half in the last year, 10 high schools remain on the list. And four of them are in the Northeast.

Fels, Frankford, Lincoln and Northeast high schools all meet the state qualifications for the list, based on the variety and number of violent incidents among students during the school year. These four were on the 2011-2012 list, and all made the list in 2009-2010. Harding Middle School also made the 2009-10 list, but has since dropped off.

Attendance was high Saturday at the fundraising party to help send a group of Frankford High School students to Paris. Photo by Stephen Schultz.

Twenty-five Frankford High School students will go to Paris in March 2012 with their teacher, Nafisah Curry.

Saturday, Curry led a large block party open to students, neighbors and the public to help raise money for the trip.

“Many of the students have never even traveled outside of Philadelphia and they initially believed that this trip was impossible for them,” Curry told NEast Philly. continue reading »

Photo courtesy of FoxSports' Scout.

While the rest of the city focuses on flashmobs and curfews, some teen leaders in Philadelphia are making names for themselves in other ways.

This morning, Frankford High School senior class president and football tight end Aaron Allison will be on WHYY’s Radio Times program from 10 to 11 a.m. continue reading »

Northwood Civic Association President Barry Howell at an earlier meeting. Photo by Christopher Wink.

Held a week early so as not to conflict with primary elections, Tuesday night’s Northwood Civic Association meeting focused on quality-of-life issues around the neighborhood, including the application for a grant to remove fire-damage garages from Rutland and Fillmore streets. continue reading »

Council-at-large candidate Isaiah Thomas. Photo provided by Isaiah Thomas for City Council At-Large.

As primary elections approach, NEast Philly will interview council-at-large candidates so readers can get to know the names they’ll see on the ballot.

Today we speak with Isaiah Thomas. The Frankford High School graduate has a psychology and social behavior  degree from Penn State University and a masters in education from Lincoln University. His work in the community ranges from his role as executive director at family education center Mature Cradle, Inc and a consultant for United Way. Thomas is also a project director at Sankofa Freedom Academy in Frankford — a natural transition from his decade-long involvement at Freedom Schools.

NEast Philly: Why council-at-large and not a specific district? continue reading »

Nine Frankford High School students were arrested Wednesday morning after a fight broke out in a hallway. School security was called to the area when a large group of female students got in a fight, surrounded by about 50 classmates. continue reading »