Levering Parents Resigned to School's Closure

parents left a community meeting at the  campus in Mt. Airy Monday surer than ever that their school would close next year.

"A parent at Levering feels after this meeting (that) the deal's done," Julie Anna Melnick said.

The school is scheduled to close after this school year. AMY Northwest (which serves grades 6-8) would move in from its Mt. Airy location.

Levering officials and others have proposed co-locating the schools at 6600 Ridge Ave. (where Levering is currently located). District officials said at the community meeting that could still happen but said it's unlikely.

The School Reform Commission will vote on the recommendation in March.

Students from Levering would be redistributed to other area schools like Dobson, Cook-Wissahickon and Mifflin (and possibly Shawmont).

Melnick said there are concerns about overcrowding at those schools.

", and (parents) are upset right now," she said.

She criticized the charter school system, which is something she called "the poor man's private school."

"How come charter schools are not closing but the Philadelphia school system is?" she asked.

Melnick also discussed the possibility of securing grants from institutions like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation to make it a Green Ribbon School.

For AMY parents, their biggest concern is transportation. District officials said busing won't be an option, for students commuting from Mt. Airy to Roxborough.