Phila. Charter Schools Urge City and State To Increase Education Funding Citywide
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A group of charter school leaders today joined the mayor and the school district in calling for more funding to ease the district's budget crisis.
Charter operators and district officials gathered at Boys' Latin Charter School, in West Philadelphia, to join in the push for city and state money to fill the district's $304-million budget gap (see related story).
Mastery Charters CEO Scott Gordon says charter schools draw from the same pool of public money that district schools do, "so when there's cuts, it hurts every family in Philadelphia."
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The mayor has proposed raising local cigarette and liquor taxes, but that needs state approval (see related story). State senator Anthony Williams (D-Phila., standing at far left in top photo) says lawmakers in City Council or Harrisburg can't just say "no" to more school funding.
"If you don't like this plan, then you need to come up with whatever plan you come up with," Williams said. "Because you can't have a public school -- be it charter or district -- without an assistant principal, without art, without counselors, without sports...." (applause)
