School’s in for summer | Morning Newsletter

Philly, we made it to another sunny Friday. Expect temps to reach the mid-80s today.

Mayor Cherelle L. Parker formally introduced her “extended-day, extended-year” pilot for 25 Philadelphia schools on Thursday. We have the details on what the plan actually entails — and for now, it’s not mandatory, full-day, year-round instruction.

And the playing fields at Seventh and Bigler Streets have long been home to the Southeast Youth Athletic Association, a volunteer-run league that hosts thousands of kids for baseball, soccer, and flag football. The fields are now threatened by a new PennDot plan to widen I-95.

Plus, we have takeaways from the first presidential debate. Here’s what you need to know today.

— Julie Zeglen (morningnewsletter@inquirer.com)

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Mayor Parker and Superintendent Tony B. Watlington Sr. shared more details yesterday about the city’s plan for year-round schooling opportunities, to kick off in the 2024-25 academic year.

What’s the plan: Twenty district schools and five charter schools will pilot free before- and aftercare, as well as programming during winter and spring breaks and for six weeks during the summer. The goal is to offer extra academic support for K-8 students, plus support for working parents.

What the plan is not: Mandatory, full-day schooling held every weekday of the year. Parker, however, did not detail how or whether the program would transition into more formalized year-round instruction, a pledge she’d made on the campaign trail.

Who’s in trouble: The press conference came two days after The Inquirer broke news of the plan. Parker addressed the unnamed sources of the leaked info: “Whomever you were, it was cute.”

What’s the reaction: At a meeting Thursday evening, the district’s board approved $20 million in contracts with outside providers, who are key to Parker’s initiative.

Our education team has the details on how the 25 schools were chosen, who will staff the programs, and whether teachers will have a choice in participating.

The fields at Seventh and Bigler have played host to thousands of South Philly ballplayers over the past three decades. A proposal from PennDot is threatening their future.

⚾ A project called the Walt Whitman Interchange would build I-95 access roads right through the Southeast Youth Athletic Association’s five playing fields.

⚾ Construction on the project wouldn’t begin for another 10 years or so, and PennDot officials emphasize that the plans are not final. But the volunteers who run the youth org are rallying the community to save the fields now.

⚾ “We’re all a family down here,” one player’s mom told The Inquirer. “Everybody knows everybody. The thought of them removing this just for a ramp — it would be impacting so many lives. They don’t want to pick a fight with South Philly.”

Reporter Mike Newall has the story.

Welcome back to Curious Philly Friday. We’ll feature both new and timeless stories from our forum for readers to ask about the city’s quirks.

This week, we have an explainer from reporter Milan Varia on the mystifying bus status “untracked” as seen on the SEPTA app. Does it mean the bus isn’t coming? Does it mean it’s late? Can they ... not find the bus?

It turns out the answer is yes, kinda, to all of the above. As a frequent (and frequently unhappy) rider of the 52, this was a must-read for me. Here’s the full explanation.

Have your own burning question about Philadelphia, its local oddities, or how the region works? Submit it here and you might find the answer featured in this space.

The William Penn Foundation, the largest foundation that only gives locally, is expanding what it funds. What area is newly included?

A) Increasing trust in democracy

B) Literacy

C) Operating support for arts and culture programs

D) Watershed protection

Think you know? Check your answer.

🏀 Dancing along with: Incoming Sixer Jared McCain’s TikToks.

🐺 Cheering: These all-time Phillies player fan clubs.

🏊 Signing up for: Swimming at these clubs in Philadelphia and the suburbs.

This musician’s Fourth of July Picnic is coming to the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion next Thursday.

Hint: 🌿

LILO NEWLINES

Email us if you know the answer. We’ll select a reader at random to shout out here. Cheers to Jim Diamond, who solved Thursday’s anagram: Cape May. The Shore town at the southernmost point in New Jersey is among the latest to unveil cashless digital beach tags.

🧑‍⚖️ One more legal thing: Apparently elected officials can get called for jury duty just like the rest of us, even if they’re elected to ... uphold the law. Find the details in this delightful read about District Attorney Larry Krasner’s visit to City Hall Courtroom 643.

Have a great weekend! I’ll see you back here on Monday.

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