A groundbreaking ceremony took place for the new Thomas Holme Elementary School, 9125 Academy Road.
Among those on hand were School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony Watlington; Board of Education President Reginald Streater; principal Micah Winterstein; City Councilman Mike Driscoll; state Sen. Jimmy Dillon; state Reps. Pat Gallagher and Ed Neilson (a Holme graduate); Debora Carrera, the city’s chief education officer; and Oz Hill, the interim deputy superintendent of operations.
Some students were at the event, and they led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance. In all, the school has about 1,300 students.
The new building will be three stories and 88,000 square feet. Students have participated in the design process, collaborating with architects and designers to create models for the playground and contributing to the design of the building’s facade and stormwater management system.
As the school was being prepared for demolition, students and staff moved to the former Austin Meehan Middle School for the 2023-24 academic year.
Winterstein, in his second year as principal, said they’ll remain there until the new school is ready in January 2026.
The principal quoted the late British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who said, “We shape our buildings and afterwards our buildings shape us.”
Streater said the new facility will be “transformational.”
The building will cost about $90 million.
“What a great day for Northeast Philadelphia,” Driscoll said.
The councilman added that the city is not just building a school.
“We’re building a future for these young people,” he said.
Dillon expects the building to be safe and inspiring. He added that a world-class city like Philadelphia needs a world-class educational system.
Gallagher is looking forward to a modern facility that will provide all the latest technology.
Carrera recalls being principal at Kensington High School when it received a new building.
“It changed my students,” she said.
Carrera, describing the new school as a gift to the community, believes Holme will experience the same transformation.
“This will change children,” she said. ••
