As Destruction of Philly Public Ed Looms, Kids Are Pawns in Budget Battle

Public education for more than 130,000 Philadelphia children is at stake, as the state legislature remains mired in a stalemate over the long-overdue budget.

In a letter sent to staff Tuesday night, Philadelphia School District Superintendent William Hite warned that after January 29, 2016, “our ability to keep schools open, issue paychecks and pay bills is uncertain. The prospect of running out of operating funds is dire.”

Nearly five and a half months have passed since the state’s July 1 budget deadline. Speaking of how the impasse has impacted schools, teachers, and students, Philadelphia Federation of Teachers president Jerry Jordan said in a statement Wednesday: “Harrisburg’s budget showdown has grown from a quagmire, to a crisis, to a full-scale emergency.”

“Our school district, like many others, finds itself on the brink of a shutdown because legislators have put partisan ideology ahead of educating its citizens,” Jordan charged. “This is a dereliction of duty that has jeopardized the futures of our schoolchildren.”

On Thursday, news outlets reported that state House Republican leaders had put a 24-hour deadline on a new push to support the $30.8 billion spending plan touted by Gov. Tom Wolf and the state Senate.

But education advocates warn that even if a budget finally passes, Philadelphia kids might still pay the price.

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Not only has the Republican-controlled legislature “crafted a budget that falls well short of restoring the Corbett-era funding cuts,” Jordan continued—referring to former Gov. Tom Corbett, a Republican who was replaced last fall by Democrat Tom Wolf— but “their budget is tied to proposed changes to the school code that would destroy public education in Philadelphia.”