This week’s biggest Winners & Losers

School is in session: After nearly a decade of declining enrollment, the School District of Philadelphia’s attendance jumped 1.5% in 2024-2025, Pew’s annual state of the city report said. District leadership and Superintendent Tony Watlington Jr. must be grateful for the graduation rates, too – the Class of 2023’s rate was up to 74%, an increase of 2% from the previous year and 9% from a decade ago. 

Having played a key role in orchestrating Philadelphia’s largest arts outfit, Ryan Fleur was just confirmed as chief executive of the Philadelphia Orchestra and Ensemble Arts. Fleur, who joined the orchestra in 2012 as executive vice president and had been serving as interim CEO, guided its 2021 merger with the Kimmel Center and the rollout of the Ensemble Arts brand. His current focus is on expanding arts access for the city’s young people.

If you’re sick of the state of Southcentral Pennsylvania’s infrastructure, you’re in luck. Pennsylvania Transportation Secretary Mike Carroll announced this week that the state will be investing $947.3 million in 124 infrastructure projects across the region, which Carroll said reflects the Shapiro administration’s “commitment to improving lives in every community in this state.” Here’s hoping those state dollars result in smoother rides and fewer potholes. 

Delaware County lost several emergency rooms this week: They were the first units to close at Crozer Health System hospitals, victims of a decision by Prospect Medical Holdings, a for-profit entity, to shutter its money-losing investment after failing to find a buyer. The impending loss of the county’s largest health system, which employs 3,000 people, leaves the county without a trauma center – and numerous rural residents without access to nearby care.

New reporting from Spotlight PA shows the lack of transparency among state and federal lawmakers when it comes to publicly sharing their schedules. Whether it’s Congress or the General Assembly, transparency laws don’t require lawmakers to publish their schedules. Media law attorney Melissa Melewsky tells the outlet that “the public really has to depend on the good graces of their public officials.” Those good graces seem particularly hard to come by these days.

If you thought Western Pennsylvania’s environment was among the healthiest in the nation, well, don’t hold your breath. According to a study by the American Lung Association, Pittsburgh’s air is among the most polluted in the country. The Allegheny County area ranked 16th-worst for daily particle pollution and 12th-worst for year-round particle pollution. The association also cleared up what drove the ranking, acknowledging the area’s history of legacy industries, such as steel, and their associated pollution levels.