Nearly 60 Philadelphia Schools Move Online Amid Heat Wave
Nearly 60 Philadelphia Schools Move Online as Heat Wave Forces District Response
Fifty-seven School District of Philadelphia schools will shift to virtual learning Wednesday as an early-season heat wave pushes temperatures higher and renews concerns about building conditions across the city.
District officials said the move affects schools that still do not have sufficient air conditioning to maintain what they described as safe and comfortable learning environments. Early childhood centers housed in those buildings will also operate virtually, and all in-person after-school activities — including athletics — have been canceled for Wednesday.
SCHOOL PROGRAMS SHIFTING TO VIRTUAL LEARNING ON MAY 20, 2026
- AMY Northwest
- Bache-Martin*
- Blaine, James*
- Building 21
- Catharine, Joseph*
- Comegys, B.
- Comly, Watson
- Cooke, J.
- Crossan, Kennedy
- Disston, Hamilton
- Dunbar, Paul
- Emlen, Eleanor*
- Fell, D Newlin
- Fitzpatrick
- Fox Chase
- Franklin, Ben HS
- Girard, Stephen
- Harding, Warren
- Henry, Charles
- Hill-Freedman
- Hopkinson, Francis
- Houston, Henry
- Howe, Julia
- Jenks, Abram
- Jenks, John S
- Lamberton*
- Lingelbach, Anna
- Loesche*
- Ludlow, James
- McCloskey, John
- McClure, A.*
- McMichael, M.*
- Mitchell, Weir
- Moore, J. Hampton
- Motivation
- MYA
- Olney Elementary
- Overbrook ES
- Parkway West
- Patterson, John*
- Powel
- Rhawnhurst*
- Rowen, William
- Roxborough HS
- Sayre, William
- SLA Middle
- Sharswood, George*
- Sheppard, Issac
- South Phila. HS*
- Spring Garden
- Spruance, Gilbert*
- Sullivan, James
- Tilden, William
- The U School
- Vaux
- Wagner, Gen. Louis
- Washington, Martha
“While the School District of Philadelphia acknowledges that in-person learning is the best option for students, the safety and well-being of our students, staff, and families remains our top priority,” Oz Hill, the deputy superintendent of operations at the School District of Philadelphia, said in a letter to district families. “In accordance with the District’s Inclement Weather Protocol, we are closely monitoring weather conditions across our region. We will communicate through our standard channels once we’ve determined that date for our return to in-person learning.”
The city will be in a heat wave until late Wednesday when a cold front moves through the region and brings the chance of severe storms.
