Conditions were rough when staff and students arrived at Penrose Elementary in Southwest Philadelphia — some paths they needed to access to get inside the school were untouched by shovels or plows.
Some buses could not open their doors to let students out at their usual spot because snow banks were so high, according to multiple people who work at the school and teachers union officials. A ramp that students with disabilities use to get into the school was blocked.
And the heat was on the fritz for part of the day as outside temperatures were barely in the double digits.
“It’s about 45 degrees inside this classroom,” one Penrose staffer said Thursday morning. The staffer was not authorized to speak to the media and asked not to be identified. “We’re all in jackets and hats.”
After Monday’s snow day and virtual learning Tuesday and Wednesday, Philadelphia schools reopened Thursday, but for many students, it was anything but an inviting return. The combination of accumulated snow, days of subfreezing temperatures, and a clutch of old buildings — many of which have maintenance issues — made in-person learning challenging across the district.
The rocky return came just hours before a planned rally to protest the district’s proposed $2.8 billion school facilities master plan, which is necessary, officials say, because of poor building conditions and other disparities.
Around some schools, crosswalks were covered by giant piles of snow, forcing children to walk in streets. Elsewhere, there was no place for staff to park.
At Vare-Washington Elementary, in South Philadelphia, pipes burst, rendering six classrooms, the cafeteria, the gym, and the entire basement unusable, according to the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers. There was a strong chemical odor throughout the building.
At Mitchell, another Southwest Philadelphia elementary, “it’s a mess,” said a staffer who asked not to be identified for fear of retribution.
A pipe broke at the school, and Mitchell had no running water for most of the day, with just one brief window where students could use the bathroom. And Mitchell’s student lunches were never delivered, so kids were fed cereal for lunch.
“A lot of our kids rely on those lunches to sustain them throughout the day,” the staffer said.
In addition, Mitchell’s back doors and fire tower exits were blocked by snow, so if there had been a fire or emergency, the only available exits would have been the front doors.
Taylor, also in North Philadelphia, also had burst pipes, with four rooms unusable and most of the school cold. School officials asked for permission to hold classes virtually Friday, but had received no response as of Thursday afternoon.
The Philadelphia Federation of Teachers has called on the district to return to remote learning on Friday in light of “treacherous commutes and dangerous building conditions,” Arthur Steinberg, PFT president, said in a statement issued Thursday afternoon.
Steinberg said in an interview that his office was inundated with reports of heating issues or a lack of snow removal or other problems at schools including School of the Future in Parkside; Farrell, Swenson, Mayfair, and Fox Chase in the Northeast; and others.
“The District must also show respect to students, families, and our members by rectifying the broken heaters, burst pipes, icy sidewalks, and piles of snow in parking lots as soon as possible, so that students and staff can safely resume in-person instruction on Monday,” he said in the statement.
Monique Braxton, a district spokesperson, said “the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority.”
Staff worked long hours inspecting boilers and buildings, restarting heating systems, clearing snow and ice, and more, Braxton said.
“Across the district, teams are responding in real time to heating concerns, snow and ice conditions, and other weather-related issues as they arise. When conditions do not meet District standards, we work closely with school leaders to take appropriate action and communicate directly with our families,” she said in a statement. “We will continue to closely monitor building conditions throughout this bitter cold period and make adjustments as needed, while temperatures remain below freezing.”
Both Thursday and Friday had long been scheduled as half days for students, with parent-teacher conferences planned. Those would be held virtually.
John Bynum, a former building engineer who is now an official with 32BJ SEIU Local 1201, the union representing 2,000 Philadelphia school building engineers, maintenance workers, and bus drivers, said the going was rough for many schools in terms of building condition.
“Most of these buildings are operating with the original boilers,” Bynum said. “We know with antiquated equipment, there’s going to be problems.”
In some cases, snowblowers that school staff were using to attempt to clear parking lots and sidewalks failed, Bynum said.
And like other school staff, his members often coped with trouble getting to work themselves, he said.
“There were challenges regarding SEPTA not running at a full schedule and the anxiety of getting to work without a robust transportation system,” Bynum said. “Street conditions weren’t the greatest. However, they made the best of it, and they showed up.”
Conditions like Thursday’s, Bynum said, highlight why the district needs more resources to address its buildings — and students’ learning conditions.
All but two of Philadelphia’s 17 City Council members have sponsored a package of legislation aimed at limiting ICE operations in the city, a level of support that could ensure the measures become law even if they are opposed by the mayor.
The 15 cosponsors, confirmed Thursday by a spokesperson for Councilmember Kendra Brooks, indicate a potentially veto-proof majority of lawmakers back the sweeping “ICE Out” effort.
Brooks and Councilmember Rue Landau, the proposal’s authors, on Thursday formally introduced the seven bills in the package, which includes measures that would codify Philly’s “sanctuary city” status, ban U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from operating on city-owned property, and prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of immigration status.
Landau said that “reaching a majority sends a clear message.”
“Philadelphia stands with our immigrant communities,” she said in a statement. “At a moment when the federal government is using fear and violence as governing strategies, this level of support shows that Council will do everything we can to protect our immigrant neighbors.”
Advocates and protesters call for ICE to get out of Philadelphia, in Center City, January 27, 2026.
The 15 lawmakers on board with Brooks and Landau’s proposal have each cosponsored all seven bills, Brooks’ spokesperson Eric Rosso said. Only Councilmembers Mike Driscoll, a Democrat, and Brian O’Neill, Council’s lone Republican, declined to cosponsor the legislation, he said.
Driscoll, who represents lower Northeast Philadelphia, said in a statement that the shootings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis this month “caused real pain and fear” and “deserve serious attention.”
“Locally, we should aim for immigration policies that are focused, proactive and aimed at practical, long-term solutions that ultimately hold up in court,” he said.
Driscoll said he is open to amended versions of the legislation.
O’Neill, whose district covers much of Northeast Philadelphia, could not immediately be reached for comment.
The developments Thursday prompted Mayor Cherelle L. Parker to make one of her first public comments about President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, saying in a statement that her administration “understand[s] the public’s fear of the unknown as it relates to federal policy associated with immigration.”
“We have a comprehensive approach to public safety, and we will always be prepared for any emergency, as we have consistently demonstrated and will continue to demonstrate,” Parker said. “I have a great deal of faith in our public safety leaders — our subject matter experts — who I asked to be a part of this team and we’re going to do our best to work in an intergovernmental fashion, along with City Council, to keep every Philadelphian safe.”
Parker said she and her team are reviewing the legislation.
Advocates and protestors call for ICE to get out of Philadelphia, in Center City, January 27, 2026.
The mayor has largely avoided confrontation with Trump’s administration over immigration policy, a strategy some have speculated has helped keep Philadelphia from the National Guard deployments or surges of ICE agents seen in Minneapolis, Chicago, Los Angeles, and elsewhere.
But the popularity of the “ICE Out” package among Council members may force her to wade into the issue. Administration officials will testify when the bills are called up for committee hearings. If they are approved, Parker will have the choice of signing the bills into law, vetoing them, or letting them become law without her signature.
Council bills require nine votes for passage, and 12 votes are needed to override mayoral vetoes. With 15 Council members already signaling their approval for the bills, chances appear strong that the city’s legislative branch has the numbers to override any opposition.
Mayor Cherelle L. Parker has avoided confrontation with the White House on immigration issues.
In a Council speech, Brooks addressed the debate over whether the legislation would draw Trump’s ire.
“Staying silent is not an option when people are being publicly executed in the streets and the federal government is covering up their murders,” Brooks, of the progressive Working Families Party, said. “I want to be clear: ICE is already here. We don’t want a Minneapolis situation, but I reject the claim of those who are pretending we don’t already have a problem.”
Council President Kenyatta Johnson, a centrist Democrat and an ally of Parker, shared a similarview.
“From my perspective, the Trump administration has already been looking at the city,” Johnson told reporters. “Overall, the majority of members of City Council support the legislation, and so we see this legislation being successfully voted out of committee.”
ICE agents have been arresting suspected undocumented immigrants in the city before and during Trump’s tenure, and his administration has canceled grants for the city and educational and medical institutions in Philadelphia. But the city has not seen a mass deployment of ICE agents or federalized troops.
Councilmember Anthony Phillips, also a centrist and Parker ally, represents the 9th District, from which the mayor hails.
“What the ’ICE Out’ legislation ultimately says to Donald Trump,” Phillips said, “is that no matter what you try to do to undermine the health and safety and well-being of Philadelphia citizens, we will stand up to you.”
Johnson suggested potential legal issues could be ironed out through amendments if needed.
“The reality is this: This is a moral issue, right?” he said. “And if there are any legality issues that has to be addressed as a body, we’ll work with our members to address it.”
Next, Johnson will refer the legislation to committee, where members will hold one or more hearings featuring testimony from administration officials, experts, stakeholders, and the public. Council members can also amend the bills in committee.
Kendra Brooks shown here during a press conference at City Hall to announce a package of bills aimed at pushing back against ICE enforcement in Philadelphia, January 27, 2026.
Supporters of the legislation packed Council chambers Thursday morning, and many spoke during public comment, ranging from leaders of advocacy organizations to a former immigration judge to immigrants who tearfully pleaded for Council to pass the package swiftly.
Several Spanish-speaking residents spoke through interpreters; other residents testified on behalf of friends or family members who are undocumented and were fearful to come to City Hall themselves. A school nurse told Council members that her students have asked her what tear gas feels like.
“The traumatic effects of these [ICE] raids on our children and our families and our communities will last for years and generations to come,” said Jeannine Cicco Barker, a South Philadelphia psychologist who said she is the daughter of immigrants. “These times call for bold, brave new measures to protect our community, and you have a chance to do some of that here. Philly urgently needs these protections.”
Ethan Tan, who said he is an immigrant and a father of two, said he is fearful for his family and community.
“To this administration, fear is the point. Alienation is the point. Isolation is the point,” he said. “The ‘ICE Out’ package says to me and immigrants that we may be afraid, but we can show solidarity and resolve anyway.”
PARIS — United States international Crystal Dunn has retired from professional soccer after a decorated playing career to spend more time with her family.
The 33-year-old New York native helped the U.S. win the 2019 women’s World Cup and the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
“This decision has not come easily, but I am at peace and deeply fulfilled with all that I have accomplished,” she wrote in an Instagram post Thursday. “I’ve achieved nearly everything I dreamed of in this sport and gave all I had to give.
“I’m ready to embrace the life that awaits me on the other side. I look forward to spending more time with my family and being a more present mom.”
Dunn was under contract with Paris Saint-Germain, which said Thursday that both sides agreed to end their collaboration. A versatile player who contributed from multiple positions, Dunn joined PSG in January 2025 after leaving Gotham FC of the NWSL. She made nine appearances for PSG, scoring two goals and providing two assists.
Dunn appeared in 160 games for the United States, scoring 25 goals.
“As one of the first Black stars of the U.S. women’s national team, especially as a field player, Dunn has long been a role model to many young players of color across the country who aspired to reach the highest levels of the game,” the U.S. Soccer Federation said in its announcement about Dunn’s retirement.
“Dunn’s career will be remembered for her versatility, her tremendous one-on-one defending, her ability to perform far above her size (5-foot-1), her popularity among her teammates, her ability to inspire generations of U.S. Women’s National Team players and for a heck of a lot of winning.”
Before Gotham, Dunn played for the Portland Thorns and took most of 2022 off for the birth of her son, Marcel. She also had stints with the North Carolina Courage, Chelsea, and the Washington Spirit.
Joe Walsh, 75, of West Chester, member of four athletic Halls of Fame, longtime high school and college football coach, retired health and physical education teacher at West Chester Henderson High School, mentor, and neighbor extraordinaire, died Tuesday, Jan. 27, of cancer at his home.
Mr. Walsh grew up in the Farmbrook section of Levittown, Bucks County, and played football at the old Woodrow Wilson High School and what is now West Chester University. He got a job as a health and physical education teacher and assistant football coach at Henderson in 1972 and spent the next five decades coaching thousands of high school and college athletes, teaching thousands of high school students, and mentoring hundreds of friends and colleagues.
He coached football, wrestling, lacrosse, and tennis at Henderson, and his football teams at Henderson and Sun Valley High School combined to win four league championships. He coached in 13 all-star football games and was named the Chester County area football coach of the year four times, the Ches-Mont League coach of the year three times, and the Del-Val League coach of the year once.
In 1992, an Inquirer reporter asked him to describe himself. “I am an easygoing, volatile kind of coach,” he said with a big chuckle, the reporter wrote. “Actually,” he said, “I think I’m a player’s coach. I think my rapport with my players is my strong point.”
Mr. Walsh (center) had many occasions to celebrate with family and friends on the football field.
Former colleagues, players, and friends said in online tributes that Mr. Walsh was “an inspiration,” “a great coach,” and “a positive example for many, many young people.” On Threads, his brother, Russ, called him a “Hall of Fame human being.”
“He was always there,” said John Lunardi, assistant principal at Henderson, who played quarterback for Mr. Walsh and served later as his assistant coach, “a steady, reliable role model, somebody who could be counted on no matter what.”
In 20 years as head football coach at Henderson, from 1992 to 2011, Mr. Walsh’s teams won 131 games, lost 104, and captured three Ches-Mont League championships. From 1988 to 1991, he went 17-25 as head coach at Sun Valley and won the 1990 Del-Val League championship.
His 2007 team at Henderson went 12-2, won the Ches-Mont title, and made it to the district championship game. “Our motto,” he told The Inquirer in2004, “is no excuses, just results.”
Mr. Walsh and his Henderson football team were featured in The Inquirer’s 1992 preview section.
In 2025, he was inducted into the Chester County Sports Hall of Fame, and colleagues there noted his “remarkable achievements and contributions to local athletics” in a Facebook tribute. He earned a standing ovation after speaking at the ceremony, and Henderson officials recognized his legacy with a moment of silence at a recent basketball game. They said in a tribute: “Joe Walsh was a Hall of Fame person in every possible way.”
Mr. Walsh taught health and physical education at Henderson from 1972 to 2008. He organized offseason clinics to encourage all students to join sports teams and told The Inquirer in 1992: “I’ve always tried my best to get as many people out and make it enjoyable for them so they stay out.”
He served as board president for the Killinger Football Foundation and cofounded W & W Option Football Camps LLC in 2001. “It wasn’t about the wins and losses for him,” said his wife, Pam. “It was all about the kids, and he was that way in all aspects of his life.”
Mr. Walsh and his wife, Pam, had many adventures together and spent countless afternoons at football games.
Joseph Richard Walsh was born Feb. 5, 1950, in Philadelphia. He lettered in football, wrestling, and track in high school, and graduated from Wilson in 1968.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education at West Chester in 1972 and played center on its two-time championship football team.
He married Sharon Clark, and they had a son, Joe, and a daughter, Kelly. After a divorce, he married Pam Connor in 1978, and they had a daughter, Jen, and lived in Downingtown and then West Whiteland Township since 1985.
Mr. Walsh enjoyed all kinds of fishing and golf. In 2023, he and his wife visited half a dozen college football stadiums on a wild cross-country road trip to Yellowstone National Park.
Mr. Walsh enjoyed time with his children.
They entertained often at home, and his gourmet soups were usually the hit of the party. He doted on his children and grandchildren, and never lost his sense of humor, they said.
He was the best neighbor ever, friends said. He cleared miles of sidewalks and driveways with his snowblower every winter, hosted late-into-the-night firepit parties every summer, and could fix practically anything.
“He was gentle but strong,” his wife said. “He was kind and considerate, and he never badmouthed anybody. He truly was a great man.”
In addition to his wife, children, brother, and former wife, Mr. Walsh is survived by seven grandchildren, one great-granddaughter, sisters Eileen and Ruth, and other relatives.
Mr. Walsh rarely let the big ones get away.
Visitation with the family is to be from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 5, and from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 6, at DellaVecchia, Reilly, Smith & Boyd Funeral Home, 410 N. Church St., West Chester, Pa. 19380. A celebration of his life is to follow Friday at 10:30.
After a foot of snow hit the region last weekend, there hasn’t been much movement in Philadelphia (or so it seems).
The snow and slush has been as stubborn as Ben Simmons’ fans during his Sixers days. No matter how much sun has peeked out from under the winter clouds, the roads are still covered with mounds of snow, and cars are still boxed in from the plowed piles.
But that hasn’t stopped Philadelphians from their weekly commute, and certainly won’t stop them from enjoying the many events happening this weekend.
That includes the Philadelphia Auto Show, the celebration of Asian cultures for CultureFest!, and a clam chowder crawl in Manayunk. The best WNBA players in the world are also going head-to-head at Xfinity Mobile Arena on Friday for Philly is Unrivaled.
And if the city still looks like the inside of a snow globe this weekend, maybe we all head to another impromptu sledding fest at the Rocky Steps.
Brooke Piazza prepares to takeoff sledding on a piece of cardboard at the Philadelphia Art Museum in Philadelphia, Pa., on January 29, 2022.
The best sledding hills in the region
Forecasts indicate another weekend of freezing temps is likely in the cards, giving Philly sledders plenty of terrain to enjoy the city’s winter wonderment.
Along with the Philadelphia Art Museum steps, my colleagues Nick Vadala and Dugan Arnett suggest bundling up and taking a trip to places like Lemon Hill, Water Tower Recreation Center, Clark Park, and other nearby sledding havens.
🏀 Show Philly how to ball: Philly Is Unrivaled, an offseason professional women’s basketball league, is coming to Xfinity Mobile Arena this Friday. The event will feature 3-on-3 games between four clubs, with the WNBA’s best players duking it out in playoff-style.
🍺 A taste of international brew: On Saturday, craft beers from Japan, Mexico, Spain, and other distant lands will be front and center at Ardmore Passport: World Pours at Ardmore Music Hall. The event will include international menu items, music, and other activities for the one-day event.
🇺🇸 Philly history is back, baby: After four months of closure, due to a government shut down and planned repairs, Independence Hall reopens to the public on Thursday.
❄️ Bundle up for a Freeze-Out:Manayunk’s signature Founders Philly Freeze-Out returns to Main Street, offering some winter fun. The day also includes a three-mile Founders Freeze Out Fun Run and the Manayunk Chowder Crawl.
Attendees hold up signs during an announcement about the Unrivaled Women’s Basketball League 2026 Philly tour stop at LOVE Park on Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025 in Philadelphia. Xfinity Mobile Arena was announced as Unrivaled’s first tour stop, with two games to be played here on Jan. 30.
Unrivaled kicks off its tour in Philly Friday night
Not to be confused with the WNBA, which begins its 30th season in May, Unrivaled is a three-on-three professional women’s basketball league that lands in Philly to kicks off its second season.
Four of the eight teams will head to Xfinity Mobile Arena for a doubleheader on Friday. It will be a homecoming for North Philly native Kahleah Copper, and an ultimate win for fans of women’s hoops.
🪭 Year of the fire horse: Learn more about Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Tibetan and other Asian cultural traditions at the 45th annual Lunar New Year celebration for Penn Museum’s signature CultureFest! series.
🍜 NoLibs bites: Two dozen bars and eateries will offer special prix fixe menus for this year’s Northern Liberties Restaurant Week, which runs through Feb. 8.
🏎️ Rev your engines: The Philadelphia Auto Show is a can’t miss annual winter classic. Hundreds of hot rides will be on display at the Pennsylvania Convention Center through Feb. 8, offering guests test drive opportunities in and outside the venue.
📜 An ode to Black history: This Sunday, Black History Month programming kicks off at the National Constitution Center. The monthlong celebration will feature daily crafts, scavenger hunts, trivia, and discussions about some of the most influential figures in American history.
🎸 Thursday: 1990s Seattle emo band Sunny Day Real Estate take the stage at Brooklyn Bowl with a lineup that includes original members Jeremy Enigk, Dan Horne, and William Goldsmith.
🕺🏽 Friday: Former NPR host Ari Shapiro stars in a cabaret show, “Thank You for Listening,” which is adapted from his memoir, The Best Strangers in the World. He will flex his musical muscles at City Winery this Friday.
🎸 Saturday: The Brooklyn indie rock band Wild Pink, still touring from the group’s 2024 album Dulling the Horns, stop by for a back-to-back show at MilkBoy Philly.
🎤 Sunday: West Philly emcee Reef the Lost Cauze kicks of the first of the series, “A Month of Black Excellence at the Fallser Club.” The afternoon event will feature a mix of vendors, food, art, and community-centered activities.
🎤 Monday: While Irish music season doesn’t fully kick off until March, brothers Brian and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn of Ye Vagabonds will bring their hauntingly modern jams to Johnny Brenda’s. Local bluegrass songwriter Daphne Ellen opens.
Put your snow shovel to good use, so you can free yourself out of snow jail, and enjoy what’s in store this weekend. You won’t regret it.
A developer wants to increase the size of its proposed data center on a remediated Superfund site in East Whiteland Township, stoking ire from nearby residents who worry about the increased scope stressing the power grid and driving up costs, along with environmental and health risks.
The facility — which would exceed 1.6 million square feet in the amended plan —would sit on roughly 100 acres at 13 S. Bacton Hill Rd., located along the boundary line for East and West Whiteland Townships, and near U.S. Route 202.
The amended plan, brought before the township’s planning commission Wednesday, would increase the size of the two data center buildings by roughly 61% from what was previously approved.
Other changes in the new plan include:
Scrapping two microwave towers, antenna yards, and ground-mounted cooling towers
Relocating office and loading facilities to face Swedesford Road
Redesigning cooling equipment to use waterless chillers instead of water-consuming cooling towers, reducing water use by about 3 million gallons per day
The applicants are asking the planning commission to approve the modifications because the currently approved plan is outdated, in both technology capacity and what occupants of such centers would need, said Josh Rabina, principal for Sentinel Data Centers, who is working with Green Fig Land LLC on the project.
The planning commission had approved the original plan in 2024, but the project has been underway since at least 2018, when the developer sought zoning changes to OK data center use. After the planning commission’s approval in 2024, Sentinel joined the project, and suggested changes to address water and energy consumption, said Lou Colagreco, the attorney for the applicant.
“They just looked at it with a different set of eyes, and they said, ‘First plan works; this plan probably works better,’” Colagreco told the commission. “It addresses certain concerns that we have heard about regarding data centers.”
But nearly an hour and a half of public comment showed that residents’ concerns weren’t assuaged by the proposed new plan.
“My head’s spinning with what’s going on here. I think you guys are way out over your skis here with what you should be asking, and there’s a lot that appears to me that you don’t even know you should be asking,” said one resident, Dean Prescott.
Across the county — and the region — data center projects have been met with scrutiny from the people who will reside near them. Their opposition clashes with Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, who has been championing data center development, promoting a 10-year plan that includes cutting regulatory “red tape” to make it easier to approve them. The governor’s office also recently announced Amazon would spend $20 billion to develop data centers and other artificial-intelligence campuses across Pennsylvania.
Despite the enthusiasm at the state level, 42% of Pennsylvania say they would oppose the centers being built in their area, according to a recent survey.
And it’s creating a bind for local officials, who are limited in what they can do to prohibit development in areas that are zoned for such purposes.
Residents in nearby East Vincent, also in Chester County, are pressing hard on their board of supervisors to reject a proposed data center at the historic Pennhurst State School and Hospital. The board there had sought to impose restrictions on data centers, but last month declined to move forward with an ordinance after the township’s solicitor warned it could lead to a challenge from the developer.
In East Whiteland, as residents called on officials to reject the plan, township solicitor Michael Gill warned it wasn’t that simple.
“This property is zoned to allow a data center use,” Gill said. “From a perspective of sheer outright denial of the use, that is not likely something that the township has the authority to do at this point in time. Nor did the township ever have the opportunity or the legal right to completely say, ‘We do not want data centers at all in East Whiteland Township.’”
The proposed data center would be located at a former limestone mining site that eventually became a lithium ore-processing business called the Foote Mineral Co., which closed in 1991. A Superfund cleanup was completed in 2010.
It is slated to sit across from Malvern Hunt, a neighborhood with about 280 homes and would be intersected by the Chester Valley Trail, a 18.6-mile route popular with walkers, cyclists, and runners.
Residents worried about the noise, the safety of their well water, and whether digging at a remediated site could adversely affect health. They also raised concerns about the stress — and cost — the facility could put on the power grid.
The facility would be adjacent to Peco’sPlanebrook substation, and the developer is paying for the upgrades needed to support the project, they said Wednesday. Peco officials said previously that surrounding customers wouldn’t see any impact.
The developers sidestepped questions about resident utility cost increases. The township’s planning director, Zachary Barner, said they had not seen “any sort of detailed analysis of consumer prices or anything like that.”
Chris Fontana, a Wakefield resident who said he works in software and infrastructure engineering leadership at Zillow, the real estate website, said industrial noise, massive infrastructure, and energy demands make buyers hesitate, affecting home values.
“Any tax benefit does not outweigh the permanent impact on our land, the strain on local utilities infrastructure, and the risk to the value of our homes, the single biggest investment most families here will ever make,” he said.
The developer will submit a revised plan and responses to consultant review letters in the coming days, township officials said. The developer will return to the planning commission next month, seeking a positive recommendation from the planning commission to go forward to the township’s board of supervisors.
Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. will not formally present the plan to the board until Feb. 26, but the topic took center stage at Thursday’s meeting as parents, educators, and other community members shared their concerns.
Here are a few takeaways:
Many people spoke out in support of Lankenau High, an environmental sciences magnet school slated to close under the plan. One parent said the closure would be a “death sentence.”
Many also spoke in support of Conwell Middle School, including its principal, who said closing it would “erase a legacy that still matters.”
Roxborough High school psychologist says the facilities proposal ‘appears to be a workaround’
Paul Brown, a school psychologist at Roxborough High School and member of Stand Up For Philly Schools, shares his thoughts about the facilities proposal.
On paper, he said, Roxborough will benefit from the plan because it will take in Lankenau High, a high-performing magnet.
“Lankenau would have to phase out their environmental science program” if it merges into Roxborough, Brown said.
“This proposal appears to be a workaround to push our students out of public education, rather than give them what they need,” Brown said.
Retired district teachers share concerns about the facilities plan, with one calling it ‘a moral failure’
Lisa Haver, a retired district teacher and founder of the Alliance for Philadelphia Public schools, calls the plan “a moral failure.”
Blankenburg Elementary, in West Philadelphia, would be closed under the plan; it sits across the street from a large charter school in a new building. This plan does not represent the public’s will, Haver said.
“None of these schools has to be closed. It’s not a budget issue,” Haver said. She taught at Harding Middle School, which is also on the closure list. “It hurts my heart.”
Barbara Dowdall, also a retired Philadelphia teacher, said: “Let us not mimic the crowbar removal of buildings, or history.”
Retired teacher says the community input process for the facilities plan was performative
Retired teacher Diane Payne says she can’t believe what the district says because she sees what it does. Community input on the facilities plan was performative, she said, and the blueprint feels top-down.
“We the people do not have buy-in with your top-down plan,” Payne said. “We do not want our public schools sold out from under us.”
Payne calls the plan “extremely flawed and disruptive.”
District parent asks board to consider what brought them to this moment
Colin Hennessy Elliott, a district parent, is speaking about the facilities plan broadly. The board must consider what brought the district to this moment, he said.
Closing Lankenau ‘would be like a death sentence,’ parent and district teacher says
Dana Williams, a Lankenau High parent and district teacher, said her son, who has autism, is thriving.
“Closing Lankenau High school would be like a death sentence to so many students’ social, emotional, and academic” lives, Williams said.
“This is the highest form of inequity,” Williams said of Lankenau’s closure. “I do not need my child going to a neighborhood high school. That was never an option.”
Williams’ son had choices of other magnet schools, she said, but he chose Lankenau. She said the closure would be a “bait and switch.”
Former student board member and Conwell graduate says Conwell is ‘one of the best pathways for student success’
Mwanasha VanWright, a 1997 Conwell graduate and former student board member, calls Conwell “one of the best pathways for student success our city has to offer.”
Conwell was key to her success, VanWright said. “I hope you reconsider closing Conwell,” VanWright said. If you do close the building, make Conwell the official middle school of Bodine, she urged the board.
VanWright is raising three fourth-generation Philadelphians. She wants them to have “strong options like Conwell,” she said.
Retired teacher questions the district’s plan to give some buildings to the city
Retired Philadelphia teacher Deborah Grill said the current facilities plan is “even worse” than the 2012 closures.
“At least those schools were given time to react and fight for their schools” before the School Reform Commission made its closure decisions, she said.
Grill asks: Why isn’t the district considering closing charter schools with empty seats?
Grill also questions the district’s plan to give some buildings to the city rather than using or selling them. “It really has nothing to do with the welfare of your students,” Grill said.
Vare-Washington Elementary principal expresses gratitude for board’s consideration of playground project
Alison Barnes, principal of Vare-Washington Elementary, said the community is thrilled the board will consider approving a playground project for Vare-Washington Thursday night. It’s nine years in the making, Barnes said.
Conwell parent asks the board to reconsider closing any middle schools
Tasha Smith, a parent of two Conwell students, opposes the closure of the school.
“I am asking for this board to require the district to reconsider closing Conwell, and to reconsider closing all middle schools. There has to be other ways to succeed,” Smith said.
Smith said that the district asking, “Do you want unnecessary transition?” in the facilities planning survey was a misleading question. It should have asked, “Do you want us to close middle schools?” because that what it’s doing. Kids need middle schools, she said.
Parent of two Conwell alums says the school is ‘a cornerstone of our community’
Priscilla Rodriguez, whose two sons attended Conwell, said the school is “a cornerstone of our community.”
It’s more than a school, she said. It offers meals and after-school support. “When a school closes, families don’t just adjust. They struggle,” Rodriguez said.
Conwell families “are already dealing with a lot,” said Rodriguez said. “You won’t make it any better by closing Conwell.”
Kensington ‘deserves investment, not abandonment,’ says former Conwell climate manager
James Washington, a former Conwell climate manager and husband of a Conwell graduate, noted the school’s 100th anniversary. “Closing Conwell is a profound loss to a community that has already endured too many disappointments,” Washington said.
Instead of celebrating the anniversary, “we are preparing to erase the legacy.”
“The Kensington community deserves investment, not abandonment,” Washington said, urging the board to “look beyond spreadsheets” and save Conwell.
Head of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence asks the board to consider charters an equal partner
Cassandra St. Vil, head of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, raised issues, including what she said was the coercion of some schools into signing their charters.
She said charters deserve more funding to address facilities needs, and urged the school district to consider charters an equal partner.
Organizer tells the board this is only a ‘25% plan’
Katy Egan, a community member with Stand Up for Philly Schools, the coalition that organized the rally before the meeting, said this is a “25% plan” with a serious lack of information. Which schools are being modernized? When? How? How will displaced students get to new schools? What about special education students? How do you plan to keep students and staff members safe?
“It’s not a plan. We deserve more than 25%, and our students deserve everything,” Egan said.
Parent asks: If the district doesn’t get the full $2.8 billion, which schools won’t get modernized?
Afternoon dismissal at Penn Treaty Middle School on Jan. 22. The school building was built in 1927.
Lizzie Rothwell, a parent of two district students and spouse of a teacher at Penn Treaty — a school slated to be closed — is speaking against the facilities plan.
If the district doesn’t get the full $2.8 billion, 40 schools wouldn’t be modernized, Rothwell said. What are the 40 schools? (The district has not released those lists.)
“The city of Philadelphia and the state of Pennsylvania owe the district $8 billion in deferred maintenance,” Rothwell said.
‘Closing schools ruins families and neighborhoods,’ says Ludlow Elementary teacher
Ludlow Elementary.
Carin Bennicoff, a teacher at Ludlow Elementary, is speaking out against the school’s closure. She’s worked at Ludlow for 30 years.
“Closing schools ruins families and neighborhoods,” Bennicoff said. “A facilities dashboard can’t measure what a school means to a community.”
Generations of students attend Ludlow, Bennicoff. “Instead of closures, we need you to invest in creating safe and healthy schools” by giving us smaller classes and more resources.
“Our children deserve real, stable neighborhood schools,” Bennicoff said.
Conwell principal urges the board to save her school from closure
Conwell Middle School.
Erica Green, principal of Conwell, a school tagged for closure, is speaking now.
“Closing it would erase a legacy that still matters,” Green said. “Conwell is a cornerstone in the Kensington community.”
Philadelphia’s police commissioner was sworn in at Conwell, Green points out. “We are what the city needs,” she said. “Our building is celebrating 100 years. Bright and shiny does not mean better. Philadelphia is a city that celebrates history.”
“Do not let the almighty dollar” drive Conwell’s closure, an impassioned Green said. “Preserve the building, preserve the culture, preserve the legacy. History matters. Conwell matters.”
Proposed closures would disproportionately harm Black and low-income students, researcher says
Ryan Pfleger, a researcher, said the district’s proposed closures are disproportionately hurting Black and low-income communities.
“The burden of closure would fall roughly evenly across racial groups. This is not what the data shows.”
Black students are 1.6 times more likely to be in closing schools, he said. Fifteen of 20 schools tapped for closure are majority-Black. “This is disparate racial impact,” Pfleger said.
Perhaps it was unintentional, but Black and poor kids are more likely to be affected under this plan, he said.
“Build schools up. Don’t shut them down,” Pfleger said.
Mastery parents speak out in support of their schools
Gloria Carroll, a Mastery parent, said Mastery Clymer Elementary is an excellent school. “I love Clymer,” she said.
Ashtin Richard, a Mastery Gratz parent, loves the school and said it has helped his son have a smooth transition from a school in the Midwest.
// Timestamp 01/29/26 5:55pm
‘Take our time, be logical, be strategic,’ high school football coach urges the board
“Sending a kid from school to school can be very damaging,” said Jordan Holbert, the football coach at Vaux Big Picture High School and a North Philadelphia resident. “It’s not what’s best for the student long-term. As we’re making these difficult decisions about what to do next, I urge and beg and plead and frankly demand that we think about the kids and the long-term closure. We did this before … and we still haven’t recovered from that. Making the same type of decision is misguided and risky.”
Holbert urges the board to “take our time, be logical, be strategic,” and think about long-term effects.
District has ‘100% support’ from Philly delegation to get the funds it needs, State Rep. Tarik Khan says
State Rep. Tarik Khan speaks during the Peoples March in Philadelphia on Jan. 18, 2025.
State Rep. Tarik Khan is now addressing the school board. The district has “100% support” from the Philadelphia delegation to get the funds it needs, Khan said.
“I understand that there are difficult decisions to be made,” Khan said, and Lankenau is not the only school in his district to be planned for closure. But, he said, “there’s something special about Lankenau.”
Lankenau has 100% graduation rate. It is set in the woods. “They have unrivaled partnerships,” Khan said. “Please keep Lankenau open.”
Streater reiterates: Watlington will present the facilities master plan to the board on Feb. 26, but they will not vote that night
Board president Streater said it would not be appropriate for him to opine on Watlington’s facilities plan until it’s firmly in the board’s hand. He urges people to attend community meetings.
“Feb. 26 is just you presenting the proposal, it’s not the day of a vote, just putting that out there for the record,” Streater said.
The new student board representatives say one of the three of them will try to be at every forthcoming facilities planning meeting.
The superintendent said it’s a “once in a lifetime, significant opportunity for Philadelphia” to modernize schools, increase access to arts, music, pre-K, algebra in eighth grade, add a year-round K-8 and high school, add a new comprehensive high school in the Northeast, and a year-round indoor pool at one Philadelphia school.
School selection deadline has been extended to Friday at 5 p.m.
Watlington reiterates that the school selection deadline was extended to Friday at 5 p.m. Initial waitlist offers will be made on Feb. 1 at 5 p.m., and the deadline to accept a waitlist offer is Feb. 4 at 5 p.m.
More than 4,000 additional students completed applications for the school selection process, Watlington said.
Student attendance drops year-over-year for December, ‘the largest drop I believe I’ve seen during my tenure here,’ Watlington says
Student attendance dropped year over year for the month of December, Superintendent Tony B. Watlington shared with the school board.
Student attendance dropped year-over-year for the month of December, Watlington said.
It was 66% in 2024, and 54% in 2025, “the largest drop I believe I’ve seen during my tenure here,” Watlington said. He believes the change was due to a half day for professional development, a two-hour delay for snow, and lightly attended days prior to the winter break.
Philly builds one snow day into the calendar, and any other inclement weather days will be virtual, Watlington says
Watlington is making his monthly presentation now. He welcomes the new student board members, then pivots to the district’s inclement weather process. While in-person learning is preferred, the “absolute number one, without question” priority is safety, the superintendent said.
Philadelphia builds one snow day into its calendar; any subsequent inclement weather days will shift to virtual instruction, Watlington said.
The student said she and others are scared to lock up their phones. Hers was stolen once, and her family cannot afford to replace another phone, she said.
“Let’s not strip away the only safety tool” that some children have.
Superintendent Watlington directed one of his assistant superintendents to speak to the Frankford student.
‘To me, closing Lankenau doesn’t make sense,’ high school senior tells the board
LeeShaun Lucas, a senior at Lankenau High School, is upset the school might close. “To me, closing Lankenau doesn’t make sense,” Lucas said.
Lankenau’s campus is unique in the city — set against a wildlife preserve and a farm, a stream, and a forest.
Lucas has studied how to make the Schuylkill healthier by studying mussels, he said. He’s had the opportunity to study in a GIS class, the city’s only such high school opportunity. That shaped Lucas, he said.
“I truly believe that voting to close Lankenau Environmental would be a mistake,” Lucas said. “Please vote to save Lank so that others may benefit from the type of learning that is only possible at Lankenau Environmental.”
Cecelia Henderson, a junior at Lankenau, is also speaking against the proposed closure of her school.
“My overall experience at the school has been overwhelmingly positive,” Henderson said. “Lankenau teachers build very strong personal relationships with students. These are the things I don’t hear from my friends who attend other inner-city Philadelphia high schools.”
Lankenau gave her “structure, support and the privilege of a beautiful campus” that helped her deal with personal issues, Henderson said.
Henderson takes dual enrollment biology and GIS classes. “I strongly believe that this cannot be replicated elsewhere,” Henderson said. “Why close a school that gives real-world education and credentials to students? Why not give that school aid and support it so we can grow bigger and better?”
Conwell students urge the board not to close Conwell Middle School
Julia Spencer, an eighth grader at Conwell Middle School, is speaking now.
“When I got to Conwell, I found my fit,” Julia said. She’s involved in track and field, ballet, student government, and more.
The district has proposed closing Conwell, and that makes Julia worry about kids who won’t get the chance to attend the magnet middle school.
“They should be able to carry the Conwell name like I will, and so many other generations,” Julia said. “Keep Conwell open.”
Jebaz Spencer, another Conwell student, said: “Conwell has programs and opportunities that other schools don’t have. … My peers and I deserve Conwell.”
Conwell students have to score high on state tests. Kids deserve “to have the legendary Conwell name on our school records,” Jebaz said. “I’ve become a better person at Conwell, and an example for other students.”
“Conwell matters,” Jebaz said. “We matter.”
Under the proposed facilities plan, Conwell would close, and the building would be repurposed as a district swing space. Students would attend AMY at James Martin as a 5-8 program with a preference for Bodine High School.
The school board will hear from student speakers now, including multiple students scheduled to testify about proposed school closings.
Up first is Shereeta Jones, a student at Mastery Simon Gratz. Shereeta loves her school, and the staff who “just want to see me succeed at school and in life.”
Up now is the installation of the student representatives of the school board.
Board members Sarah-Ashley Andrews and Cheryl Harper work closest with the student reps. This year’s reps are: Brianni Carter, from Philadelphia High School for Girls; Ramisha Karim, from Northeast High; and Semira Reyes, from the Philadelphia High School for Creative and Performing Arts.
Six board members are in attendance at tonight’s meeting
The board has a quorum at tonight’s meeting, but not all members are in attendance.
President Reginald Streater and vice president Sarah-Ashley Andrews are attending in person. Crystal Cubbage, ChauWing Lam, Joyce Wilkerson, and Cheryl Harper are present virtually.
Whitney Jones, Wanda Novales, and Joan Stern are absent.
District plans to host upcoming community meetings centered on the proposed facilities plan
School board president Reginald Streater acknowledges Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr.’s long-awaited facilities plan, which was made public last week. It won’t be presented to the board until next month.
Streater urges attendance at upcoming community meetings, starting next week. The meetings will center on closing schools.
“Once he [Watlington] has formally presented his recommendations to the board, we will announce additional information on how we will proceed,” Streater said.
In other words, there will be no immediate vote after the Feb. 26 Watlington presentation, and more community engagement opportunities to come.
Board honors general counsel for the district, and its senior and teacher of the month
The board is honoring Shahirah Brown, assistant general counsel for the district, who has won multiple recognitions by community and legal organizations for her work.
First school board action meeting of 2026, here we go!
Most board members are not present in person tonight — just board president Reginald Streater and vice president Sarah-Ashley Andrews are at Philadelphia School District headquarters today.
Rally begins to break up as organizers head inside for school board meeting
Grace Keiser, 27, a math teacher at Lankenau High School, holds a “Save Lank” sign during the rally on Thursday.
At the close of the rally, Krys Fannis, a 10th grader at Lankenau, spoke on the megaphone.
“I feel scared,” he said about the district’s plan, which would close the school. Fannis would have to transfer to a new school for his senior year. He said that Lankenau is more than just a building filled with classrooms. It is a community, and its focus on environmental education is essential for students like him, he said.
To those in the school district who argue his school must go?
‘It’s just an injustice,’ says president of Lankenau Home & School Association
Demonstrators rallied against school closures outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters on Thursday.
Some of the demonstrators warned that removing children from their neighborhood schools would be traumatizing to already vulnerable kids.
“These schools are another home for these families,” said Margarita Davis-Boyer, president of the Lankenau High School Home & School Association. She said schools are a place where kids can get a meal, see a friendly face, and feel safe, especially when home may not offer the same reprieve.
“It’s just an injustice,” she said.
Annie Moss, from the Olde Kensington Neighborhood Association, said the school district’s plan threatens the future of Philadelphia.
“You cannot build a strong city… by traumatizing them,” she said.
North Philly community member protests proposed closure of Ludlow Elementary
Annie Moss, who runs after-school programs at Ludlow Elementary, rallied outside the School District of Philadelphia before their school board meeting on Thursday.
Annie Moss, a member of the Olde Kensington Neighborhood Association, braved the bitter temperatures to protest the planned closure of Ludlow Elementary in North Philadelphia. Ludlow, and the neighborhood, have finally gotten some investments.
“And now they’re talking about closing,” Moss said.
Moss said students would lose if Ludlow is closed.
“Why take them out of something that is good, and been built for them, and destroy it?” said Moss.
Hannah Loo, who works for advocacy organization 12 Plus, rallied outside the Philadelphia school district headquarters against school closures on Thursday.
Around 60 people are gathered in front of the school district headquarters, surprising organizers with their turnout given the frigid weather.
Hannah Loo, 30, braved the wintry day holding a sign that warns of crammed classrooms if the proposed schools close.
“Class Size Matters: I’m not a Sardine,” the sign read.
Loo, who works for advocacy organization 12 Plus, said that she was fighting against school closures because schools are essential parts of the neighborhoods and communities where they’re located. She believes the district’s plan will ultimately hurt graduation rates and attendance, and said she hopes the district listens to organizers doing grassroots work to advocate for schools.
Organizers set to rally against school closures outside school district headquarters
// Timestamp 01/29/26 2:45pm
Stand Up for Philly Schools, a coalition of neighborhood, parent, and educator groups, plans to rally outside the School District of Philadelphia headquarters starting at 3 p.m. Thursday, one hour before the school board’s first meeting of 2026.
The facilities plan is not on the agenda of Thursday’s meeting, but it will be the public’s first opportunity to share question and concerns with the board.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — For most of the night, it seemed as if the Flyers were still on a road outside Columbus. Despite facing a Metropolitan Division foe in the Blue Jackets, and with their playoff dreams fading away, it was too much of that Midwest way of ease.
They finally turned it up for the third period and were knocking on the door of a comeback, thanks to Travis Konecny and Dan Vladař, but then fell back into the habits that sank them earlier in the game. Within five minutes it went from a tie game to a 5-3 loss.
Just a few weeks ago, the Flyers were sitting inside the playoff picture. Now they’ve lost nine of 11.
“We just shot ourselves in the foot a few times, and they capitalized on them,” defenseman Travis Sanheim said. “And just weren’t executing the way that we need to at this level. And it cost us.”
The gas tank seemed to be low for much of the team for much of the time — except for Konecny and Vladař.
“We all know he’s our big dog, as everybody says,” Vladař said about Konecny. “We were happy that he’s going, but at the same time, it’s a team game. We just can’t rely on only two players. We cannot expect from him scoring [a] hat trick every single game.”
A painful hat trick
Konecny notched his third career hat trick as he gutted and grimaced out a performance that could have and should have gone down in Flyers lore.
His first goal tied the score at 1, settling things down momentarily after his line was on the ice for the first Columbus goal 38 seconds into the game — thanks to a turnover by Trevor Zegras. But then, at the end of the second, Konecny blocked a Damon Severson slap shot off his ankle or foot and appeared to be in so much pain that the guy who normally sticks around after the buzzer was already deep down the tunnel when it sounded.
Travis Konecny (right) leads the Flyers in goals with 20 and points with 48.
He wasn’t out there for the start of the third — missing the opening shift with his linemates, Zegras and Christian Dvorak — but he was on the bench just as the puck dropped and was back on the ice for their next rotation. The next shift after, Konecny made it 3-2, and with 4 minutes, 46 seconds remaining, he received a nifty pass from his buddy Travis Sanheim to tie it at 3.
But in the process, the Flyers may have lost Konecny for some time.
“He’s hitting the holes, and … he races inside on them and beats people, and then obviously he’s got a good shot,” coach Rick Tocchet said.
“And he took one off the foot. He’s limping around. He might not play [Thursday against the Boston Bruins]. We don’t know. He [had] a lot of guts tonight.”
Konecny is the Flyers’ leader in goals (20) and points (48), and losing him would be a big hole to fill as they try to climb back in the race. They are six points out of third place in the Metro and eight points back of a wild-card slot.
Vladař’s strong return
Although Sam Ersson battled and performed up to the task across the gauntlet through Las Vegas, Utah, and Colorado, the return of Vladař after a six-game absence was expected to be a durable shovel added to the dig-out.
Although he missed two weeks and said he didn’t “think my legs and my reads were there at the beginning,” the No. 1 goalie was up to the task. But the defense faltered in front of him again, committing turnovers and leaving Blue Jackets wide-open on the weak side.
“We’ve talked from training camp [about] the weakside goals, and lately, since Tampa, we’re just giving up too many weakside goals,” Tocchet said, referencing two straight losses to the Lightning in mid-January.
“You cannot let that weakside goal go in. Obviously, there’s a couple of guys [who] made mistakes on it. Let Vladdy have the strong side shot; he stops that all day long. But that one’s impossible for him to stop.
“I shouldn’t say impossible, because he made some great saves.”
Indeed, he did.
Flyers goaltender Dan Vladar in action against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Jan 12. He made 26 saves Wednesday.
There’s always talk about goalies needing to make one more save in a game. Vladař did that and more. He saw the puck well, especially through traffic, and made 26 saves on 30 shots, stopping three out of five high-danger shots.
Two of those saves were highlight-reel, saves-of-the-year stops on Adam Fantilli when it was 3-1 and Boone Jenner when it was 3-2, with his glove as they waited on the weak side all alone at the right post. Sean Monahan, who scored the game-winner two shifts after Konecny notched his third goal, mentioned postgame he was happy his shot was on the stick side.
“[Sanheim] can’t be tied up with his guy, he’s got to stay loose. He’s got to stay loose because there’s a breakdown,” Tocchet said about the game-winner. “Noah [Cates] should have took back ice, but Sanny just was, he stood with his guy. He should just leave him loose, and then he takes the weak side. So, it’s a couple of things, multiple things. You want to give your goalie a chance to make the save when there’s a breakdown.”
It did seem as if the Blue Jackets were crashing the net and making a goalie returning from injury move side-to-side a lot.
“I don’t think it was intentional because of Vlad,” Sanheim said.
“I think it was some of the mistakes that we were making and coverages and allowing them to make those plays. It puts a lot of stress on your goaltender and can’t blame him, he made a heck of a save on a couple of occasions and really kept us in that game.”
There were turnovers galore, missed assignments, missed reads, and the official stat says nine giveaways. It’s been the norm lately for the Flyers as their once-promising season is charging downhill.
The question is, how many times can the Flyers break till they shatter?
New year, same you googling repeatedly, “Is a government shutdown happening?” We see you. We get it. And the answer is: “Maybe.”
The likelihood of a partial government shutdown this weekend has ramped up following a surge in immigration enforcement and related backlash in Minnesota.
The highly publicized presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security in Minneapolis, alongside the death of Alex Pretti, the second person federal agents havefatally shot in the state, has reinvigorated efforts among Democrats to reject a bill to fund DHS.
“The appalling murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti on the streets of Minneapolis must lead Republicans to join Democrats in overhauling ICE and CBP [Customs and Border Protection] to protect the public,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said in a statement Sunday. “People should be safe from abuse by their own government.”
Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Democrats would not support keeping the government fully open if it means funding the Department of Homeland Security. Other Democratic senators have joined in calling for Senate Republicans to collaborate on advancing five other pending bills, aside from the DHS bill, and separately retooling the DHS measure.
In case you need a refresher, here is what you need to know about deadlines, what a partial government shutdown looks like, and more.
What’s a government shutdown vs. a partial government shutdown?
A full government shutdown happens when all (or most) federal agencies have not secured funding. It usually means widespread furloughs, sometimes layoffs, and any nonessential government services are put on pause.
Meanwhile, a partial government shutdown happens when Congress has funded only certain federal agencies, leaving others in limbo. In turn, some parts of the government would close while others keep operating.
When a partial shutdown happens, some federal agencies and operations, like Social Security and air traffic control, keep running as usual. But other federal employees are furloughed.
In this instance, agencies at risk of expiring funding include the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services, Labor, Education, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, and State; the Securities and Exchange Commission; and the federal court system, according to Reuters.
Democrats are pushing Republicans to decouple the spending bill so disagreements over DHS don’t fuel disruptions to the other agencies. But Republicans so far say they will not break up the spending bill.
When does government funding expire?
Federal funding is set to expire at 12:01 a.m. Saturday. A partial shutdown would occur if Congress and President Donald Trump’s administration do not reach an agreement by then.
Where does the DHS funding bill stand?
The House has done its part and is in recess until February. But Senate Democrats are pushing back on approvals, citing the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants. That leaves the Senate with only a few options to avoid a shutdown if it cannot pass the current measures.
Most legislation in the Senate needs 60 votes to move forward. Republicans hold 53 seats, meaning they need bipartisan support to pass the existing measure, which covers about $1.3 trillion in annual government spending, including military and social service funding.
But Democrats want new guardrails on immigration enforcement and added oversight on DHS. Some demands include requiring judicial warrants for immigration arrests, and agents to wear visible identification, Time reported.
Several Democratic senators who broke with their party last year to keep the government open say the killings of Pretti and Good at separate protests have changed their stance.
Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.), who has historically broken with the Democratic Party to avoid government shutdowns, released a lengthy statement Monday saying that he wanted to see the DHS operation in Minneapolis end but would not support a government shutdown. But on Thursday, in a surprising break, Fetterman voted against advancing the six-bill package.
His vote, along with 54 other senators who voted “no,” meant the financial package could not move forward.
It is also worth noting that DHS would continue to operate and receive funding under a government shutdown. That is because DHS agencies received major funding through Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. In turn, ICE and other parts of the agency would continue operating under a shutdown.
Who is affected by a government shutdown?
Hundreds of thousands of federal employees are affected, since many would be expected to work but would not receive pay until after the shutdown is lifted. Employees are typically guaranteed back pay.
Many employees are also at risk of being furloughed and would not be allowed to work (but would also receive back pay thanks to legislation passed in 2019).
Some of the main groups of employees that a shutdown could affect include (but are not limited to) active members of the military, federal law enforcement, federal transportation workers (like air traffic controllers and Transportation Security Administration agents, but not SEPTA workers), scientific researchers, and the IRS.
The federal court system said it would not be able to continue full operations past Feb. 4, which could disrupt hearings and other activities, Reuters reported. Data and research activity from the Bureau of Labor Statistics and the National Institutes of Health could also go dark.
What about tax season?
This potential partial shutdown comes during tax season.
If a shutdown happens, funding for the IRS could lapse, which would in turn mean tax processing — and refunds — could be disrupted.
During last year’s shutdown in October, the IRS approved a contingency plan that let the agency continue some activities under a shutdown. But, the agency said, refunds would be delayed aside from some direct electronic returns that could be automatically processed and direct-deposited. Taxpayers were still expected to file and pay their taxes on time.
The IRS has not yet commented on a potential shutdown. Trump previously touted larger refunds this year because of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Some experts say that emphasis could play a role in the agency remaining partially open.
When would the government shut down?
Congress and the Trump administration need to reach an agreement by midnight Friday. If they don’t, a shutdown would go into effect at 12:01 a.m. Saturday.
What was the longest government shutdown?
The longest government shutdown was the most recent one, which began on Oct. 1, 2025, and lasted 43 days. It broke the record for the longest shutdown on the 36th day.
What could a government shutdown mean for Philly?
In Philadelphia, the October shutdown led to the closing of Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center, to the chagrin of tourists. But that would not happen this time, because the national parks are funded by the Department of the Interior, which secured its funding through an already passed appropriations bill for the year.
SNAP benefits would also notbe affected this time.
The Department of Transportation would close during this shutdown, but air traffic controllers would be required to work without pay. Similar to the last shutdown, this could lead to flight delays and cancellations.
Other impacts could be in store as the shutdown’s implications become more clear.
The layoffs are planned forthe end of April, according to a Thursday WARN Act filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry. They include the employees of all six Philly-area Amazon Fresh locations — 205 at the Northern Liberties store, 189 in Broomall, 161 in Bensalem, 157 in Langhorne, 144 in Warrington, and 127 in Willow Grove, according to the filing.
By the end of April, Amazon also plans tolay off nearly 900 New Jersey employees, the vast majority of whom work in northern counties where there are Amazon Fresh stores, according to a WARN Act filing with New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development.
The day after announcing the Amazon Fresh closures, Amazon said 16,000 employees companywide would be losing their jobs as part of a broader reorganization.
“We’ve been working to strengthen our organization by reducing layers, increasing ownership, and removing bureaucracy,” Amazon said in a statement announcing the layoffs.
The company said most U.S. employees will have 90 days to look for a new role internally. After that, those leaving the company will receive severance pay, “outplacement services,” and health insurance benefits, as applicable, according to Amazon.
With its move to shutter the Fresh stores, Amazon has said it will “double down” on online grocery delivery and expand its Whole Foods footprint. Whole Foods, which Amazon bought in 2017, has more than a dozen locations in the Philadelphia area.
“Amazon Whole Foods, a trillion dollar entity, treats us like robots to be exploited and squeezed for maximum profits,” Jasmine Jones, a Philadelphia Whole Foods worker and member of Whole Foods Workers United, said Tuesday in a statement that noted the company’s Whole Foods expansion plans. “They are making billions of dollars off of our labor and we deserve better pay and benefits.”
