Philadelphia School Officials Warn Of Layoffs, Deep Cuts
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - The budget shortfall for the Philadelphia School District is much deeper than first thought, and officials are warning of layoffs and deep program cuts if state funding isn't restored.
Deputy Superintendent Lee Nunery said the school district's preliminary $3 billion budget has a widening chasm between revenues and expenditures, "The size of what we estimate as the budget gap for fiscal 2011-2012 is $629 million."
Due to rising expenses and deep cuts in education funding in Governor Corbett's budget proposal. So the district is planning to cut half of its central office staff (that's 413 jobs), seek reductions in payments to charter schools, go after $75 million in concessions from teachers and other unions and reduce individual school budgets by 13%.
If sufficient savings can't be found, the district says the entire instrumental music and athletic programs are at risk and class sizes could go up even more.
Chief financial officer Michael Masch said, "Everything that could be reduced is on the table. Everything else that's left is legally mandated and cannot be touched. We think it's a balanced plan. It is not the budget that we want for our children."
Reaction from NAACP head Jerome Mondesire was sharp. Mondesire said, "Corbett's budget is as much a threat to the long-term future to the children of Pennsylvania as Colonel Gadhafi is to the people of his country."
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio 1060
