Philadelphia School District Faces Huge Budget Hole
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Mayor Nutter and the city's schools chief are warning of a huge budget hole next year, if millions in federal stimulus funds aren't replaced.
Mayor Nutter and Superintendent Arlene Ackerman say the only thing they know for sure is that $234 million in federal stimulus money disappears after this year. And with the political uncertainties of a Republican Congress and an incoming Republican, Tom Corbett, taking over the governor's office, that budget gap could grow.
In a conference call with reporters, Ackerman said the district is trying to prepare. "We are internally trying to look at a variety of scenarios. And until we're clear -- I mean, the new governor hasn't even come into office. We have no clue what's going to happen in Harrisburg. We are all speculating."
Mayor Nutter says it's way too early in the process to talk about whether the city can afford to contribute more. The district gets a little more than half of its two-and-a-half billion dollar operating budget from the state.
Reported by Mike Denardo, KYW Newsradio
