Resolution 200683
Calling on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to keep John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School and Bishop McDevitt High School open and to engage with students, alumni, board, and other stakeholders in decision making around the schools’ futures.
Introduced by
From the floor
Passages in the official transcripts that cite this file number. Every quote links to its exact place in the record.
“Good afternoon, Council. I'm calling in support of Stated Meeting December 10, 2020 Resolution 200683 for your support in requesting that the Archdiocese of Philadelphia speak with the board and alumni as well as even families and all stakeholders regarding the recent announcement of closures of John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School and Bishop McDevitt High School. During the time of COVID, it is a disgrace for…”
Ms. Redmond · Stated Meeting, December 10, 2020 · Dec 10, 2020 · official transcript, this passage
“Hi. I am calling in regards to Bill No. 200683.”
Ms. Sahm · Stated Meeting, December 10, 2020 · Dec 10, 2020 · official transcript, this passage
“Sorry. I'm Zoe Stated Meeting December 10, 2020 Kelly. I'm here for Resolution 200683. I'm a senior at John W. Hallahan and also Student Council Class President. Hallahan was the first Catholic school in the country and has been a second home for girls all across the City of Philadelphia for over a hundred years. The school is a melting pot of diversity and does not deserve to be shut down. I'm the first person in my…”
Ms. Kelly · Stated Meeting, December 10, 2020 · Dec 10, 2020 · official transcript, this passage
“Good morning. My name is Dr. Kimberly Taylor-Benns, Class of 1980. I'm speaking in support of Bill 200683. I am a lifelong resident of Philadelphia and a proud alum of John W. Hallahan. I cannot stress the impact that my Hallahan education has had on my life and the lives of over 40,000 women from every zip code in the City of Philadelphia for more than 120 years. Hallahan continues its tradition of educating women.…”
Dr. Taylor-Benns · Stated Meeting, December 10, 2020 · Dec 10, 2020 · official transcript, this passage
“Council President Clarke and Councilmembers, my name is Mary Beth Driscoll and I am speaking in support of Resolution 200683. We very much appreciate Councilwoman Richardson's sponsorship and all of your support. I'm a proud alum and I've served on the board of Bishop McDevitt for nine years. We, the board, and the entire school community were shocked by the sudden announcement by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and…”
Ms. Driscoll · Stated Meeting, December 10, 2020 · Dec 10, 2020 · official transcript, this passage
“Hi. My name is Carly Monahan, a proud member of the Class of 2022 at John W. Hallahan. Thank you for hearing me out today and especially thank you to Councilwoman Katherine Gilmore Richardson for bringing Resolution 200683 before you. I'm involved with a variety of different clubs and activities. I am a part of the Golf team, where we won the PCL and the District Title in 2018; the Cheer team; the Book and Film Club;…”
Ms. Monahan · Stated Meeting, December 10, 2020 · Dec 10, 2020 · official transcript, this passage
Status timeline
- Dec 3, 2020Introduced and Ordered Placed On Next Week's Final Passage Calendar · CITY COUNCIL
- Dec 10, 2020ADOPTED · CITY COUNCIL
Official documents
Documents open on the City of Philadelphia’s legislative site.
Full text
Read the full text as published
..Title Calling on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to keep John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School and Bishop McDevitt High School open and to engage with students, alumni, board, and other stakeholders in decision making around the schools' futures. ..Body WHEREAS, John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School is the first all-girls Catholic diocesan school in the country and is approaching its 120th Anniversary; and WHEREAS, Hallahan was founded to provide an education to girls of immigrant families and remains to this day a model of diversity, with young women of all backgrounds and faiths enrolled as students; and WHEREAS, Hallahan is the only school to have written permission to use Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse as its mascot; and WHEREAS, Hallahan has adapted to meet the needs of its students by forging important partnerships, such as a new program with the Community College of Philadelphia to allow all Hallahan graduates to receive both a High School Diploma and an Associate Degree; and WHEREAS, The Hallahan High School Board of Directors, alumnae, current students and their families have spoken out against the closure of the school and worked to identify opportunities to increase its enrollment numbers and improve its financial outlook; and WHEREAS, Hallahan's Board is confident it has the financial resources to cover the school's deficits and keep the school open for the next two years; and WHEREAS, Bishop McDevitt High School is rich in diversity, with over seventy percent of students identifying as Black and from Philadelphia; and WHEREAS, McDevitt has long prioritized diverse post-secondary opportunities by adding vocational and technical education curriculum in 1965; and WHEREAS, School closures can have a negative impact on students who must transfer schools, students at schools that receive new students, and even on students who would have attended that school had it not closed; and WHEREAS, Data on school closures shows hard to measure consequences, such as community institutional mourning and decreased relationships and friendships among alumni; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, Calls on the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to keep John W. Hallahan Catholic Girls High School and Bishop McDevitt High School open and to engage with students, alumni, board, and other stakeholders in decision making around the schools' futures. ..End