ICYMI: After uncertain summer, Philadelphia schools to open on time

Since May, the Philadelphia School District has faced continuing budget problems and the potential for massive layoffs or a late start to the school year. Here are some of the summer highlights (or lowlights) you may have missed while you were away from campus:

$2-a-pack tax passes House, but goes no further

July 2 — The Pennsylvania General Assembly’s House of Representatives passed a $2-a-pack cigarette tax to help close the School District of Philadelphia’s funding gap. However, additions to the bill prompted further debate and amendments by state senators. One change proposed by senators was to have the tax end after five years.

While the House was supposed to meet on Aug. 4 to discuss changes to the cigarette bill, on July 31 it canceled its session to vote on the proposed tax until September. The tax was estimated to generate $83 million, and the House decision left the legislation in limbo. Drastic options that were proposed include the laying off of 1,300 staffers or shortening the school year.

As of now, however, no cigarette tax has been made into law.

New School Reform Commission member

July 3 — Mayor Michael Nutter named former Masterman School principal Marjorie Neff as a new member of the SRC. Neff is the first member to serve on the nearly 13-year-old commission who is a current or former educator.

Pink slips distributed

July 10 — More than 300 district employees were laid off because of individual school budget decisions. While teachers were spared, employees affected for the most part were noontime aides and special education assistants, as well as eight assistant principals. The district said the layoffs were unrelated to layoffs proposed in lieu of $2-a-pack tax on cigarettes.

Governor Tom Corbett advances $265 million to the district

Aug. 6 — Corbett announced that he would advance $265 million to the school district in order to help ensure that classrooms would open on time. However, the money does not address the school district’s underlying problem with underfunding since the district was already counting on these funds to maintain the below-adequate budget of last school year — meaning this announcement did not represent any new revenue.

Schools to open on time, after scare of late start

Aug. 15 — Superintendent William Hite announced that schools will open as intended on Sept. 8 and further layoffs have been avoided in spite of the existing $81 million budget gap. Hite cited in his statement that “the loss of classroom time for students” was the main motivation for starting on time. Cleaning staff reductions and the elimination of SETPA transportation for students living less than two miles from their school are among the new cuts.

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