Education

Extended Day, Extended Year

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Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the schools participating in the year-round school pilot program at City Hall, June 27, 2024. (Tom MacDonald/WHYY)

Progress Updates

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Mayor touts progress on initiatives at State of the City address

(Impacto) In her 2025 State of the City address, Mayor Cherelle Parker highlighted her administration's progress on public safety, education, the environment and economic opportunity. 

Her highlights included: A decline in homicides and shootings, bringing Philadelphia close to a 50-year low; funding for before- and after-school programs that covers 40 public and charter schools through the Extended Day, Extended Year initiative; and city-wide cleaning efforts such as block cleanups, vacant lot maintenance, and expanded twice-a-week trash collection.

Parker also signed Executive Order No. 7-25, formally committing the City to ending street homelessness. The order directs the Office of Homeless Services to facilitate and financially support the operation of 1,000 new shelter beds by January 31, 2026. 

Mayor Parker believes her vision of a "safer, cleaner, greener Philadelphia with economic opportunity for all," starts with a high-quality education for the city's students. And she sees her Extended Day, Extended Year program as a core component of achieving that.

The program launched in June 2024. According to our partners at Chalkbeat, it entails free before- and after-school programs, camp experiences during winter and spring breaks, and participation in the city’s existing six-week Summer Achievers summer camp.

Here's what has happened with the effort so far:

  • 40 schools are participating, comprising 30 district schools and 10 charter schools.
  • About 3,000 students have participated in the various before and after-school programs offered at the participating schools. Education officials expect the initiative’s expansion will add 5,000 seats.

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Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, flanked by Superintendent Tony Watlington and Education Chief Debora Carrera, announces that 15 new schools will participate in the “extended day, extended year” school initiative at Philadelphia City Hall on Friday, June 27, 2025. (Carly Sitrin / Chalkbeat)
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