Budget & Finance
A new audit found the district owes $2.8 million in delayed termination payments to former employees.
Pennsylvania’s state budget will be late again. But a key House Democrat says a major impasse on education is unlikely.
Mayor Cherelle Parker said no additional recurring funding is coming to the district under the deal.
Superintendent Tony Watlington sent a memo to city councilmembers on Thursday saying without a new source of recurring revenue, the district would not stop the cuts.
City Council gave initial approval to a $7 billion budget deal Thursday that leaves out the $1 tax on companies like Uber and Lyft. Instead, councilmembers’ will draw $48 million from other budget sources for the school district.
The Philadelphia Board of Education, which is appointed by the mayor, approved a plan to close 17 schools. That’s led to calls for the board to be elected instead.
The district budget includes some $225 million in cuts that will mean schools will lose climate staff, teachers, counselors, and substitutes.
The Yass Prize — an organization founded by Yass and his wife Janine — announced new ‘Opportunity Knocks’ scholarships. Critics say they represent a attempt to lure students away from public schools.
The district’s $3 billion facilities plan would close 17 schools and upgrade nearly 170 others. But how much will philanthropic groups and government entities help pay the bill?
The Board of Education is slated to decide whether to close over a dozen schools on April 23.
Schools are preparing to lose math teachers, climate staff, art classes, Advanced Placement courses, athletics, and extracurriculars.
West and Southwest Philadelphia and Kensington would be some of the areas hardest hit by the proposed cuts. But it’s not a done deal: Officials say a rideshare tax could save jobs.
Mayor Cherelle Parker says if her rideshare tax passes, the school district would no longer need to cut school-based positions next year.
Philadelphia school leaders want to eliminate more than 500 school-based positions next year.
Superintendent Tony Watlington said significant cuts are necessary, but stressed that claims the district is riddled with wasteful spending are ‘absolutely false.’
Shapiro says he wants to see how much authority states will have over the program under rules that will be released by the U.S. Treasury Department.
The district’s building problems stem from decades of underfunding from the state, union leaders and some members of City Council said Wednesday.
Gov. Shapiro is also seeking $158 million for career and technical education programs, $420 million for pre-K programs, and $35 million for student teacher stipends.
The City Council also pressed school officials about why the principals union has not had a contract since August.
The budget will send $193 million more to Philly schools and add accountability reforms for cyber charter schools, among other changes.