HARRISBURG, Pa. — A heated Harrisburg school board meeting brought out a vocal crowd Tuesday night as district officials revisited seven different options for the future of the former William Penn High School, which has sat empty since 2011.
The district presented several possibilities for the long-vacant campus, including demolishing the building, subdividing and selling the land or leaving the property as it is. Three additional proposals from community groups and local individuals would transform the site into a mixed-use space.
Tension rose early in the meeting, with residents and school board members shouting at the district’s solicitor and demanding more transparency about how the options were chosen and why they had not changed since earlier presentations. Many in attendance said they want any decision to directly benefit Harrisburg students…