Supt. Hornbeck resigns after budget crisis

School District of Philadelphia Superintendent David Hornbeck announced on Monday that he would step down from his post, effective August 15.

Hornbeck said that poor relations with state officials were at the root of his decision to resign.

"As a consequence of the budget forced on the Board of Education by Harrisburg, the vision and action plan that we have implemented with such terrific results has to at least proceed on a different timeline," Hornbeck said.

Philadelphia Mayor John Street praised Hornbeck's six-year tenure as superintendent at a press conference on Monday morning.

"He has never surrendered his high hopes and his high expectations for the children of this city," Street said.

Hornbeck's signature project as Philadelphia superintendent was a massive reform plan called "Children Achieving," a 10-point agenda to increase student achievement that he began in 1994.

Last week, Hornbeck released test scores for 4th graders showing progress in reading, math and science for the fourth consecutive year.

"The hard and smart work of students, teachers and administrators has resulted in a dramatic increase in achievement," Hornbeck said.

But Hornbeck -- an educational consultant and former superintendent in Maryland-- said he didn't think that the school budget for next year would allow his vision to continue.

Until recently, the school system faced possible $205 million deficit in next year's budget -- and a potential state takeover.

However, last week state officials agreed to defer $58 million in payments owed to them, Street said that the city would give $20 million to the schools and the district announced it would make $30 in cuts.

The Board of Education then passed a $1.59 million operating budget that left them with an $80 million defecit, but meant they could stay open throughout the school year.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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