To Philly school board from former member: Our students deserve better

On Thursday, the Philadelphia Board of Education will release its proposed budget for the 2023-24 school year. This budget is a representation of the School District’s goals and priorities and can have an impact on students’ lives for years to come.

As a member of the school board from 2018-2021, I came to believe that every member’s vote is a belief statement. It says everything about who you believe our students are and what you believe our students deserve. I used this as my moral compass when voting on action items — including the school budget.

One of my first votes as a member of the school board was no on an action item, which required metal detectors in every high school. When I asked myself, “Who do I believe our students are, and what do I believe they deserve?” I believe they deserved better than to be treated like criminals. The only possible vote for me was no.

One of my final votes as a member of the Philadelphia school board in 2021 was to vote no on the 2021-22 school budget. I could not, in good conscience, vote on a budget that allocated three times the amount of dollars for school police as it did for athletics programming.

Unfortunately, the budget was passed with little opposition by the board.

» READ MORE: What you need to know about education funding proposed in Gov. Shapiro’s budget

The 2022-23 school budget increased spending for school safety officers to $36 million — nearly four times the amount allocated for athletics. I found this budget to be indefensible. In May, I testified against it at a meeting of the school board, noting that the district should instead follow the formula adopted by nearby districts, which often allocate between 1% and 1.5% of their budget to athletics.

In contrast, Philadelphia allocates a mere two-tenths of 1% of its budget for athletics.

To give you an idea of how egregious this is: In its 2021-22 budget, the Lower Merion School District spent nearly $4 million on athletics — in a district with two high schools and six middle schools. We spend $9 million for 57 high schools and more than 150 middle schools. If the district allocated money according to the formula used by districts all over the region, we could transform students’ lives.

Participation in sports has been shown to have myriad benefits for children, including lower rates of depression, better mental health, and higher self-confidence. But it can also have an immediate and tangible impact on gun violence in our city, by keeping thousands of our students off the streets during the times when they are most likely to become victims of, or engage in, disruptive and potentially illegal behaviors.

“Our children wake up scared and go to bed scared.”

Our children wake up scared and go to bed scared. They are scared that they may not make it to graduation. They are scared that they may be pulled into situations due to bad choices that can get them killed. But our votes for metal detectors and school safety officers over athletics have not decreased the amount of violence our children face in their daily lives. These votes did not improve the quality of school life for our children. But investing in activities that develop students’ passions and talents does.

Board members, you are about to vote on a school budget that will have an impact on the children of our city for years to come. I understand that the increasing incidents of gun violence may compel you to increase funding for school police yet again. But ask yourself: “Who do I believe our children are, and what do I believe our children deserve?” Our students are amazing, talented children with gifts to share with the world, and they deserve a school district that provides opportunities for them to grow and develop their talents.

Angela McIver is a former member of the Philadelphia Board of Education. She served from 2018 to 2021.