An effort to reopen the closed Glen Mills Schools was rejected last week when the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services declined a license for Clock Tower Schools to operate the reformatory school, writes Kenny Cooper for WHYY.

Clock Tower Schools has the same address and phone numbers as the closed school.

“Generally, DHS has concerns over the organization’s ability to safely operate a child residential facility due to suitability of facilities and program structure,” a DHS statement read.

A spokesperson for the Clock Tower Schools expressed disappointment in the denial. The organization is appealing.

Glen Mills, the nation’s oldest reformatory school, was shut down in 2019 when decades of abuse allegations surfaced, leading to an investigation.

Philadelphia City Councilmember Helen Gym was appointed to the Pennsylvania Juvenile Justice Task Force in 2020, formed after abuse allegations surfaced at facilities around the state, including Glen Mills. 

She said in a statement she was “appalled at how flagrantly Glen Mills refused to change anything about itself other than its name.”

She was critical of the slow pace to change state oversight of youth residential facilities, despite recommendations from the Task Force.

Read more about Glen Mills Schools at WHYY.