As the Philadelphia School District discusses a partnership with Penn and Drexel, University officials need to take the community's needs into account.

The plan would involve the transformation of University City High into a combination neighborhood-and-magnet school.

Seventy percent of the students would come from the surrounding area, while the remaining 30 percent would commute from other parts of the city.

However, at a recent forum, those present disagreed with Penn's proposal for a magnet curriculum focused on international studies - and rightfully so.

Community members instead suggested that a vocational program would help students in a much more practical manner.

By teaching skills that immediately place students in the job market upon graduation, a career-focused program could aid efforts to improve West Philly by teaching students to support themselves and their families as quickly as possible.

Students who want to attend college could still continue standard high-school paths to higher education.

And while advanced studies certainly benefit University City students, high schools with vocational curricula - including topics such as automotive technology and health careers - fill an immediate need in many communities.

Ben Franklin founded Penn to provide a practical education to its students. It's time for Penn to do the same for University City.