PHILADELPHIA – Mayor Kenney released the following statement on the vote by the School Reform Commission (SRC) to dissolve itself and return the Philadelphia School District to local control.

“Today, we are one step closer to bringing quality schools to every neighborhood in Philadelphia. No longer will elected officials be able to play the blame game for the state of schools – pointing to one of the members of the School Board they did not appoint. No longer will our schools be run by a Board with several different patrons, which too often leads to disorganization or unproductive infighting. The buck will stop with one person, the Mayor, and I fully expect Philadelphians to hold me and future Mayors accountable.

I commend the members of School Reform Commission for acting in the best interest of our city, tonight. This is not something you have done lightly, and I look forward to working with you to ensure a smooth transition to the local board next year.  I also want to thank the parents, teachers, principals and all the other members of PFT, CASA, and SEIU who worked tirelessly to provide a good education for our students despite difficult cuts over the last several years. You all will continue to be critical in charting the District’s future, and I look forward to working together.

I would like to thank Dr. Hite for his leadership and commitment to providing a quality education to every Philadelphia student. I look forward to working with him to build on recent progresses the District has made and to keep the momentum moving in the right direction.

Finally, I want to send a message to all Philadelphia students. You are the key to our City’s future. I believe every student in our City has great potential, and there’s nothing more important to me than making sure that the City provides you with everything you need to succeed.”