Philadelphia City Councilmember Cindy Bass is calling for Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School to be demolished after Kada Scott's body was found near the vacant property Saturday. 

Bass represents District 8, which includes Germantown — where the school is located — as well as Mt. Airy and several other neighborhoods.

In a letter Friday to School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Dr. Tony Watlington, Bass wrote that residents in the East Germantown neighborhood have raised concerns about the vacant middle school being used for illegal activities, including illegal dumping. 

"I am formally urging the School District of Philadelphia to move with urgency to demolish the Ada H. Lewis Middle School structure and properly secure the site to prevent any further harm to the community," Bass wrote. "The risks posed by this abandoned building are no longer hypothetical — they are real and unfolding in front of us."

Bass wrote the letter one day before investigators found Scott's body in a shallow grave in a wooded area behind Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School, which has been closed since 2008. 

On Tuesday, Bass told CBS News Philadelphia in part: "The recent tragedy underscores what residents have been saying for far too long: this site poses serious risks and demands urgent action."

In a statement, Watlington said the district's operations division and school safety office are "reviewing protocols for our vacant properties, in alignment with our priority to create and maintain safe and healthy spaces in every neighborhood."

A school district spokesperson said in a statement Tuesday that the district has 20 vacant properties that are regularly inspected and Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School was last checked on Oct. 14.

"No evidence of unauthorized activity was identified during that period," the statement says.

Neighbors have mixed reactions to calls for Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School to be demolished

On Monday, the grounds of the Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School were overgrown and neglected until the School District of Philadelphia and city crews showed up to clean. 

District officials said the cleanup was not prompted by Scott's death, and that vacant properties are routinely checked. 

Many neighbors said they want the school torn down, including Desiree Whitfield.

"I want this torn down because it's a sign of death," she said. "It's a sign of trauma. It's a sign of tragedy."

The former Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School spans a nearly 7.5-acre property next to Awbury Recreation Center, which is across from Awbury Arboretum.

The district said the school's been vacant since 2008, while neighbors said it's been abandoned. 

"We should not have had to wait until Kada Scott's life was tragically taken from her for the city of Philadelphia and the school district to step up and take accountability for the school right before the candlelight service," Whitfield said. 

But not everyone wants the school torn down. 

Marsha Downs attended Ada H. H. Lewis in the late 1980s. She was emotional at the thought of the school in ruins. 

"They could have fixed it," she said. "But they chose not to, so I mean, just look at it. It's a beautiful school."

Downs said she would come by the school weekly, but it hadn't looked like it was cleaned up in years before Monday.

What to know about Kada Scott investigation

Before finding Scott's body Saturday, police searched the area around the school Wednesday and found her cell phone case, a bank card and glasses. 

After Scott's body was found and identified, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner announced new charges Monday against Keon King, the 21-year-old who was already charged with kidnapping her the night she went missing. He was charged with arson for allegedly burning the car used in Scott's abduction, causing a catastrophe, conspiracy and related offenses. 

Prosecutors are also preparing to file murder charges against King pending more information from the Medical Examiner's Office. The cause of Scott's death is still under investigation. 

The community has gathered at Ada H. H. Lewis Middle School to honor Scott since her body was found. On Tuesday night, they had a balloon release, and a vigil was held Monday.