To: Charter Schools Office, School District of Philadelphia

We Support a Charter School in the Germantown High School Building

I support the Germantown High School Coalition's application for a charter school in the historic Germantown High School building, which was recently purchased by The Concordia Group. Germantown needs its own high school to serve students from the neighborhood.

Why is this important?

In June 2014, the School District of Philadelphia closed Germantown High School and put the property up for sale. The closure hurt students, who were left with fewer school choices, the neighborhood, which lost a beloved institution, and a shopping district poised for revival. It left a spiritual, physical, and emotional gap in the Germantown community.
The Germantown High School Coalition, a partnership of community groups and concerned residents, has been working to fill that gap. We propose a high school serving 700 students from the neighborhood. Using a project-based approach, the school will provide a strong academic foundation along with career and technical skills. It will use community assets to enhance curriculum and enrich the experience of students.
We need your support as we apply for recognition as a charter school. Our school would be the major tenant in a restored historic Germantown High School building. With a new school and a transformed building and campus, Germantown High School, now empty and lifeless, can become a center of neighborhood revitalization.