school district of philadelphia bus tour

District launching citywide bus tour prior to opening of school

The School District of Philadelphia is launching a bus tour over the next three weeks through which students and their families can register for school, pick up backpacks full of supplies, and have questions answered about the planned return to full in-person learning for the first time since March 2020.

Two specially decorated buses, with district employees who are being called Street Team Ambassadors, will make 31 stops across the city between Aug. 9 and Aug. 27. At four of the locations, all Shop-Rite stores, students will be able to receive vaccinations that are required for school attendance. Eligible students can also get information about receiving a COVID-19 vaccination. 

School is scheduled to start on Aug. 31. 

The tour is an effort to build excitement for the reopening of school as well as allay any fears or concerns parents and students have, said Superintendent William Hite at a press conference at school district headquarters. The tour was conceived in response to a survey last spring of parents, who said that they needed better communication from the district regarding basic information about returning to school.

“Some people are a little leery of COVID, as they should be,” Hite said. Officials decided it would be better to go into neighborhoods where people might be less likely to go online or get information through other channels, he said. The Back-to-School buses, he said “will give us the opportunity to meet parents where they are,” adding that information will be available in Spanish and other languages based on the community being visited.

The tour is being financed through a $150,000 grant from the Independence Blue Cross Foundation, the nonprofit philanthropic arm of the health insurer Independence Blue Cross. 

“We’re excited today to help Philadelphia kids and families get back on track for a happy and healthy school year,” said Lorina Marshall-Blake, the foundation’s director. 

The first stop will be the Jardel Recreation Center in Northeast Philadelphia at 10 a.m. Aug. 9. The vaccinations will be available on Aug. 8, Aug. 10, Aug. 18 and Aug. 24, each at a different Shop-Rite located in the city.

Despite concerns about new start times for schools, Hite said that they will not be significantly changed at this point. The new schedule calls for three different start times — 7:30 a.m., 8:15 a.m. and 9:00 a.m., which has been criticized by some teachers and parents, especially since most high schools are starting earlier and elementary schools later. Ten Philadelphia state legislators sent a letter to Hite questioning the new schedule and are set to meet with him next week.

Hite added that all schools that need them will have expanded before- and after-school care. 

Arrangements for starting or expanding such programs are being worked out by each school individually, he said, and paid for with federal COVID funds. Pennsylvania’s plan was approved Thursday by the U.S. Department of Education.

“Resources are being provided to all schools,” Hite said. He said some schools might utilize “community resources,” while others might create new programs and pay staff members overtime.

Hite said that the district is still considering whether to mandate that all staff members be vaccinated against COVID-19, calling it a “complex” issue. He reiterated that all staff members, vaccinated or not, will be required to wear masks, and that all adults will be tested weekly. Children will be tested if they are symptomatic. Students participating in contact sports and in activities like band and choir will be tested once or twice a week. They can opt out of testing if they show proof of vaccination.

Parents have until Aug. 13 to sign up for the district’s fully online option, the Philadelphia Virtual Academy, which will be expanded from grades 6-12 to include students in kindergarten through fifth grade. He did not have information about how many parents are choosing this option.

After kindergarten enrollment plummeted last year, more students have registered for it this year, he said. The district is working on finding students in all grades “who are still in the community and should be attending schools...It will take awhile to re-engage all the individuals who were lost.” 

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School district bus tour gives out free backpacks, school supplies to Philly students

The district’s third annual “Ring the Bell PHL” bus tour kicked off Monday morning at Martin Luther King High School, and a free Bassetts ice cream stand was among the most popular tables, at least among students.

“The start of the school year is one of my absolute favorite times of the year,” said Superintendent Tony Watlington Sr., who is beginning his second academic year in charge of the district. “We get a chance every single year to have a do-over, to have a fresh start.”

Six pop-ups and four “mega events” are planned in the coming weeks to help families prepare for Tuesday, Sept. 4, the first day of classes.

Free state-mandated immunizations and sports physicals are available at the mega events, which also feature food, music, face painting, balloon animals and other activities for children at no cost.

The mega events are set to be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 4 at George Washington High School’s football field; Aug. 8 at the Gratz Supersite; Aug. 12 at the School of the Future; and Aug. 18 at Roosevelt Mall.

Pop-ups are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Aug. 2 at J. Finnegan Playground; Aug. 7 at Hillside Recreation Center; Aug. 9 at South Philadelphia High School; Aug. 11 at Bridesburg Recreation Center; Aug. 14 at Overbrook Educational Center; and Aug. 16 at Willard Elementary School.

“We’re going into the new school year with a bit more momentum,” Watlington said, noting a 3% increase in student attendance last term and 265 fewer high school drop-outs compared to the prior year. “We know we can do much greater work together this school year.”

Educators will also be adapting to new math textbooks and instructional materials, part of a $70 million investment the Board of Education approved to purchase what Watlington called “the very best curricula available in reading, math and science anywhere in the United States.”

Mayor Jim Kenney, who also spoke at Monday’s event, encouraged families enrolled in the city’s PHLConnectED internet program to switch over the Affordable Connectivity Program, a similar federal initiative.

His administration launched PHLConnectED to get families access to the internet to allow for remote learning when in-person classes were suspended at the height of the coronavirus pandemic. The program, which provided free service, ended Monday.

Households who participate in ACP can receive a maximum of $30 off their internet bill and $100 toward a laptop or other device. Anyone with a child in Philadelphia public schools is eligible for the program.

About the Author

Jack Tomczuk

Jack Tomczuk is a Philadelphia native who started as a news reporter for Metro in March 2020 (just a couple days before COVID hit). Previously, he wrote for the Northeast Times, The Sun newspapers in Burlington and Camden counties and the Press of Atlantic City.

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July 19, 2023

Philly kids can get free school supplies, immunizations at these summer events hosted by the district

School district officials are making stops in 11 neighborhoods from july 31 through aug. 18 to hand out backpacks and to answer questions from parents.

At part of the School District of Philadelphia's 'Back to School Bus Tour,' officials will hand out free backpacks and school supplies, and help parents register their children for school, at 11 neighborhood events from July 31 to Aug. 18. A stop from the 2022 tour is pictured above.

Philly kids don't return to school until Sept. 5, but a lot of them will need backpacks, books and fresh crayons before that. Parents can grab supplies for free this summer at the Back-to-School Bus Tour.

Organized each year by the School District of Philadelphia, the bus tour connects families with free backpacks and books, but also information. At every stop, school officials will be available to help moms and dads sign up for Parent Portal accounts or register their children for Pre-K through 12th grade. Select events also will offer free immunizations required for school attendance. Those stops are marked with an asterisk below:

Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt | @thePhillyVoice Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice Have a news tip ? Let us know.

Kristin Hunt PhillyVoice Staff

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