School Opening Delayed Until Friday, Sept. 4th

[Families – please see the following memo from Dr. Shawn Bird, Chief of Schools]

Dear Ben Franklin – Science Leadership Academy Families:

In an abundance of caution, the School District of Philadelphia has decided to delay the opening of the BF-SLA campus until Friday, September 6, 2019.

The Passenger elevator, which is used to transport our students with physical disabilities, needs to undergo an additional inspection, which is scheduled for tomorrow, Thursday, September 5.

Our top priority remains to provide a healthy, safe and welcoming learning environment for students and staff. A cleaning crew will also be on site tomorrow to ensure that all areas students and staff will occupy will be thoroughly cleaned.

It is important to note that extensive asbestos abatement work was completed throughout the building.  Asbestos testing was conducted and all areas passed inspection. All asbestos testing reports will be made available online.

While most of the construction will be finished by Friday, there are still a few areas that will be safely partitioned off and inaccessible to students and staff while final construction is completed.

If you haven’t already done so, students and families are encouraged to pick up TransPasses at their school’s Main Office anytime between 8 to 10 a.m. tomorrow, Thursday, September 5.

We apologize for any inconvenience this situation has caused. Thank you for your continued patience throughout this process. We look forward to welcoming you on the first day of school on Friday, September 6, 2019.