Philly earmarks funds to avoid school cuts. The district says it's not enough
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The Philadelphia school district's headquarters on North Broad Street. Photo: Mike D'Onofrio/Axios
Philadelphia school district leaders are moving forward with hundreds of staff cuts next school year despite getting funding to avoid them.
Why it matters: Mayor Cherelle Parker has maintained that the positions are critical, including teachers, counselors and climate staff. But the district, facing a massive deficit, says those jobs are at risk without recurring funding.
Catch up quick: Last week, the City Council rejected Parker's proposed plan to avoid cutting 340 staff positions — a $1-per-ride tax on rideshares.
- That tax was projected to eventually deliver $48 million annually.
Instead, councilmembers earmarked an additional $48 million for the district in the upcoming city budget in an attempt to stave off those school cuts.
- Councilmembers are expected to approve the city budget on Thursday, which includes funding for the school district's budget. The new fiscal year starts July 1.
What they're saying: The district is demanding "recurring revenue" to avoid the cuts, spokesperson Monique Braxton said in a statement last Friday.
- Braxton said that the extra funding will be used to "continue the District's focus on accelerating academic achievement," but declined Axios' requests for more details.
Zoom in: Braxton tells Axios that councilmembers were aware of what the district needed to avoid the cuts.
- Superintendent Tony Watlington "meets on a regular basis with the mayor and members of City Council, so this was no surprise to anyone," Braxton tells Axios about the cuts.
- "Without recurring revenue, the pathway forward is those positions are going to be at risk," Reginald L. Streater, president of the Board of Education, said at a Friday news conference with the mayor and Watlington — a day after City Council gave preliminary approval of the budget.
Watlington has said that the district would reassign 340 school-based employees by moving them to vacant positions.
- Braxton declined Axios' request for details.
Between the lines: Council President Kenyatta Johnson's spokesperson, Vincent Thompson, told Axios that funding levels, including those for schools, are generally not reduced from year to year.
By the numbers: The district is poised to get roughly $1.8 billion in tax revenue from the city.
- The district is in line for another $332 million in new funding, which includes the $48 million plus another $2 million from a new tax on cellphone towers.
Meanwhile, the district is facing a $300 million structural deficit in the coming years, driven by staffing costs, charter school payments and inflation.
What we're watching: Whether Parker vetoes the city budget or hatches a new plan to help the district maintain those positions.