Schools

Philly School District Budget Update Leaves Many Outraged

A deep cut in funding for Promise Academies ignited arguments from the crowd at the Aug. 3 meeting.

The Philadelphia School Reform Commission unveiled its 2011-2012 budget update to an outraged crowd during the Aug. 3 meeting at the School District's headquarters. The updated budget includes cuts to Promise Academies and other school programs.

The School District informed the crowd that there is a current budget gap, as only $501 million of the $629 million budget (roughly 80 percent) has been implemented. The remaining $128.4 million is currently held up in the implementation stage. 

Chief Financial Officer Michael J. Masch presented a breakdown of how state cuts to educational funding affected the School District of Philadelphia, and SDP's necessary budget cuts to close the $128.4 million gap, which includes a $23.4 million, one year loan from SEPTA for Transpass financing. The SDP had hoped for $57 million in target restoration from the state, but received only $22 million, which is 7.5 percent of the necessary 20 percent to close the gap.

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The hit SDP harder than the average of schools throughout the state. While most saw decreases to Basic Education Subsidies of 6.65 percent, SDP saw a reduction of 9.70 percent. According to Masch, if the SDP had seen the average decrease of 6.65 percent, the district would have $32.7 million more in this year's budget. 

The gap closure initiatives include maintaining the six Fiscal Year 2011 (FY11) Promise Academies and adding three more for FY12. The initial plan was to add 11 more Promise Academies, but with those cuts, the district will save $13 million alone. The three new Promise Academies are slated to be , West Philadelphia High School and Martin Luther King High School. 

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The angry audience was upset about the district's apparent lack of concern over the success rate of the Promise Academies. 

"These Promise Academies level the playing field for inner city kids. If you had the kind of gains that the Promise Academies had in any other school district other than Dr. Ackerman's had, it would be on Sixty Minutes and, at the least headline news," said Emmanuel Bussie. He cited statistics that were unfounded, however The School District reported in June that PSSA scores were up .

Community member Pamela Williams was particularly upset at the lack of Promise Academies scheduled for the upcoming year. 

"We need to be challenged and we need to be prepared to compete globally," Williams said. "You ask that governor for the $15 million or whatever it takes to open these Promise Academies."

Bussie and several other speakers during the public comment section did pledge their support for Superintendent Arlene Ackerman. Ackerman recently denied widely spread rumors of her resignation as superintendent.

Editor's Note: In a previous version of this article, Emmanuel Bussie's unsubstantiated statistics were quoted.


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