Cole Hamels Unhappy With Philly School Closures


Phillies pitcher Cole Hamels plans a sitdown with School Supt. William Hite soon; The Notebook reports he’s angry that the list of Philadelphia public schools slated for closure includes three schools to which he’s donated playground and library equipment.

Hamels Foundation operations officer G-N Kang said she and other officials were “shocked and surprised” to find that three Hamels-supported schools were on the District’s list of 37 proposed closures. The schools include Bayard Taylor Elementary, whose new $317,000 playground opened last summer; Wilson Elementary, which received a $50,000 playground in 2010; and Shaw Middle School, which received a $50,000 “family resource and professional development center” for its library in 2011.

Kang said that the foundation would lobby to keep the three schools open, as well as Fairhill Elementary, which has received foundation support for adult literacy programs.

Hamels sits down with Hite before the end of this month, but he may not have any leverage by virtue of his donations: “Legally it was a donation,” Kang said.  “So at the end of the day, they have the final say.” [The Notebook]