Mayor Backs Philadelphia School District Request For Tens Of Millions More
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The School District of Philadelphia is telling City Council it needs more money from the city to balance its budget.
A lot more.
And Mayor Nutter is on board with the idea.
Without more money, the School District says it would be forced to eliminate full-day kindergarten, most yellow bus service, student TransPasses, and class-size reduction programs (see previous story).
What would it cost to spare them? Schools superintendent Arlene Ackerman told City Council, "It would be $75 to $110 million."
Mayor Nutter says he supports giving the school district that much more city money. But the question is, will it be raised through a tax increase or by shifting existing revenues, or a combination of both? Nutter wouldn't get specific.
"For where we are right now, there are a variety of options that need to be discussed," the mayor said. "I'm not going to drill now into the details in a matter that is literally just evolving."
The school district adopts a budget next Tuesday. But if more city cash is on the way, district officials say that budget can always be amended.
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060
