School District of Philadelphia officials will not auction off its art collection, according to District CEO Paul Vallas and members of the School Reform Commission.

“They are not going to sell,” he said. “I don’t think there’s support to sell the paintings.”

Vallas’ comments come as there was no vote on whether to sell the district’s art collection. There was a resolution last month from former SRC member Daniel Whelan, who has since resigned from the commission. The resolution has since been tabled.

A teacher and parent from Woodrow Wilson Middle School appeared in front of the SRC Wednesday at its general meeting to ask members to return its 71 paintings, which were removed.

“Do not sell off our paintings,” Wilson parent Marilyn Krupnick said. “Do not discard our history. Appreciate it, cherish it, treasure it, return it.”

SRC Chairman James Nevels said that the 71 Wilson paintings were stored in a secure location at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Vallas said he believed the art should be returned to the schools as long as it can be secured and maintained properly. Nevels said the resolution had been withdrawn and that the commission would move ahead with a study of the art to determine its ownership and worth.

The school district began three years ago to remove paintings, antiques and other art pieces from its schools under the direction of its former chief of staff, Natalye Paquin.

Overall, the district collection includes about 1,200 pieces, 400 of which might be valuable. Works by Thomas Eakins, African-American painter Henry Ossawa Tanner and prominent Bucks County impressionists, including Walter Emerson Baum, are among those in the collection. Estimates of its worth have ranged from $5 million to $30 million, but district officials emphasized that they need the study to get a firm estimate.

Also, at the SRC meeting, Commissioner Martin Bednarek suggested district officials consider changing the month of October on the school calendar from National Gay and Lesbian Month to Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Bednarek’s suggestion came after there was a complaint from a resident about the inclusion of the theme in the calendar. Nevels and Vallas said the calendar’s content is a decision for the district’s staff, not the commission.