PILOTS would improve the overall livability of the city, both for people who are affiliated with these institutions and those who are not. “Currently it doesn’t seem like everyone who lives in Philadelphia is having the same access to public assistance services. That’s something I think PILOTS could change,” added Rodriguez.

Teachers, staff, parents, and the wider community already give what we can to elevate the brilliance of our students within a system that is steeped in inequities. Teachers spend hundreds of dollars in pocket money each year; parents who raise money to fund their own libraries perpetuate an inequitable practice; and a cash-strapped district continues to slash school budgetsin a time of crisis. These imperfect, band-aid solutions are not sustainable, and our children deserve more.

The group remains resolved that Penn must make annual payments in lieu of taxes (PILOTs) to the public schools — 40% of what it would owe in property taxes, paid into an Educational Equity Fund governed by the School District and City of Philadelphia.

More than 1,000 faculty and staff members are urging Penn to pay 40% of what it would owe in property taxes to the Philadelphia public schools as a matter of social, economic and racial justice.