Philly Schools To Stay Open If SEPTA Workers Strike

PHILADELPHIA — If Transport Workers Union Local 234 and SEPTA do not reach an agreement and workers strike, the School District of Philadelphia said its building will be open for in-person learning.

A strike looms for Monday if the union and SEPTA don't negotiate a new contract by the end of the day Sunday.

Students who are currently assigned to a bus or van route will continue to receive transportation services.

Due to a national driver shortage that is already disrupting operations, the district is unable to provide transportation to students who are not currently assigned to a route.

Families should expect bus delays for student pick up and drop off since more vehicles would be on the roadways in the event of a SEPTA strike.

Students who cannot attend school in person during a potential SEPTA strike due to transportation challenges are expected to log into Google Classroom for their assignments and engage in asynchronous (independent) learning daily.

Hybrid learning will not be offered, and students will not be able to log into their classes virtually.

All School District of Philadelphia offices, including those at 440 N. Broad Street, will operate on their normal schedules.

All staff are expected to report to work according to their normal schedule. Through feedback provided through the Staff Transportation Survey and other forums, the majority of district employees can find alternate ways to report to work so schools and offices can remain open for students and families.

Staffing at each school will be monitored daily, and the district will deploy educator and Central Office staffing supports to specific schools that may need additional coverage.

Grab-and-go meal kits will be available at 12 school distribution sites across the city for families of enrolled students who cannot attend school in person if a SEPTA strike occurs.

For more information, including the list of the 12 school distribution sites for grab-and-go meals, please visit the district's website here.