School District Budget
Philadelphia school officials approved a preliminary budget for the 2008-2009 school year. The $2.3 billion plan promises extra help for struggling elemetary schools, but it also promises a sizeable does of red ink.
By Bill Hangley
WHYY News, March 27, 2008
This time last year, the School District of Philadelphia was groaning under the weight of a surprise deficit of more than $180 million. As of today, its projected deficit for this year and next year comes to a total of about $39 million.
District Budget Director Wayne Harris said much of the credit for the improvement should go to City Hall and Harrisburg.
"While it is not balanced, and we have to balance it in time, that is a significant amount of progress, and it's attributable to extraordinary support from our primary funders at the city and the state," said Harris.
Harris also said that the district's new plan relies on more help from the same sources.
The preliminary budget counts on state legislators to fully support Governor Ed Rendell's proposed state education plan, which includes an extra $80 million for Philadelphia schools. District officials say that the increase is essential if they are to meet next year's goals of reducing class size in troubled elementary schools and expanding art and music education in all schools.
The district must approve a final budget by late May.
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