Harrisburg school board rejects three proposals and approves demolition of William Penn building

The Harrisburg City School District Board of School Directors on Feb. 24 adopted administration’s findings of fact on options for the vacant William Penn High School and then rejected three community proposals before authorizing the building’s demolition.

Board President called the meeting to order at 6:14 p.m. and, after adopting the findings of fact by roll-call vote, the board considered three outside proposals identified in the administration’s packet as option 6 (Bridge/Gary Gilliam), option 7 (PA Social Equity Investment Fund, identified with Brett Peters), and option 8 (Capital Rebirth, Mikael Simpson and LaSharon McCor). The board voted 5–3 to reject those three options “for the reason set forth in the findings of fact approved by the school board,” according to the motion the board adopted.

The rejection followed questions from board members and a legal explanation from district counsel, who told the board the proposals presented different risk profiles: the PSEIF proposal was described in the findings as a land-lease form requiring firm USDA senior-debt or tax-credit commitments before the board could consider it, while the two other proposals were treated as public–private partnership concepts the solicitor said are not statutorily recognized in Pennsylvania and presented elevated legal and financial risk.

Public commenters urged a different course. Melanie Cook, a long-term resident and property owner, told the board: “We see you,” and urged the district to preserve and adaptively reuse the building, saying a community task force recommended preservation and adaptive reuse to expand student opportunities. Brett Peters, who said his group had a term sheet and proof of insurability, urged the board not to demolish and said his approach was a land lease rather than a public–private partnership; Peters told directors: “William Penn High School is an irreplaceable cultural asset for the city.” Steele Andrews, another resident, asked the board to consider another sale or auction instead of demolition and questioned the $5,000,000 demolition estimate.

After debate, the board approved an immediate-action motion directing administration to proceed with demolition of the William Penn building, including final abatement, permitting and procurement of demolition services, by a roll-call vote of 7 yes, 1 no. Board members voting for demolition said the district must prioritize fiscally responsible, low-risk options and move to stabilize the property; dissenting members cited preservation concerns and the building’s historic and community value.

Following the demolition authorization, the board directed administration to consider next steps for the site and to bring forward proposals that align with fiduciary goals and the amended recovery plan and capital improvement plan and “reflect the District's core missions of advancing educational opportunities for K–12 students,” the board motion stated.

The board’s action came after a multi-year process including task-force work, public input, and presentations earlier in the review. Next procedural steps include administration completing abatement and permitting work and returning to the board with proposal(s) for use of the land consistent with district planning and capital priorities.