Stories tagged: WHYY/NewsWorks
Will U.S. Rep. Bob Brady help find money for Philly's schools?
Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 18:53 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Could U.S. Rep. Bob Brady come to the rescue of Philadelphia's schools, like he came to the rescue of the Manayunk bike race?
Sources tell WHYY/NewsWorks that Brady, as well as city and state officials, are in talks about attempting to secure federal funds to help plug the Philadelphia School District's $304 million budget gap. The plan would require the U.S. government to waive money now owed to it by the state.
That could possibly generate tens of millions of dollars for Philly's schools, according to sources.
Wawa enters the cigarette-tax fray in Harrisburg
Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 06/19/2013 - 09:54 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Wawa is circulating literature that raises concerns about a proposal to tax cigarettes in Philadelphia.
City Council voted last week to impose a new $2 tax on every pack of cigarettes, but the proposal still would require state legislation. It is part of a plan to bail out the city's schools, which are facing a $304 million budget deficit next fiscal year.
The document that Wawa shared with some Pennsylvania lawmakers and the Corbett administration states that the $2 tax would create a black market for cigarettes.
PICA says Philly finances doing better, schools still in big trouble
Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 14:33 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks
As the budget process in Philadelphia nears a conclusion, the group that oversees the city's finances is cleaning off its magnifying glass to take a look.
Sam Katz, head of the Pennsylvania Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority, says that with the city receiving a boost to its bond rating this week, taking care of the public schools appears to be the biggest problem. He says the city, state, and Philadelphia Federation of Teachers all need to be part of the solution.
Williams continues pushing Pa. for more Philly school funds
Submitted by thenotebook on Tue, 06/18/2013 - 11:15 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Mary Wilson for NewsWorks
One Democratic state lawmaker is warning that poor schools are being overlooked as the Pennsylvania legislature gets down to the final two weeks of budget negotiations.
Sen. Anthony Williams points to the Philadelphia School District, which is laying off nearly 3,800 workers, and says other financially distressed districts will join it soon if the state doesn't send more money.
Lawmakers are too busy trying to find consensus on policy issues orbiting around the budget, he said.
City Council reviews different educational models
Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 06/17/2013 - 14:58 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks
With Philadelphia's public schools bracing for a bare-bones budget in the fall, a City Council hearing looked at other countries as places to emulate.
Republican Councilman-at-large David Oh called for the hearing, saying that fixing Philadelphia schools will take more than restoring budget cuts.
"Just throwing money at a problem isn't helpful, and I think it's irresponsible not to try to fix the problem. While there are some good schools and students that benefit from those schools, overall our students are not doing well and do not have the type of educational experiences or resources that they should have."
Hatching a plan to prevent shuttered Philly schools from turning to blight
Submitted by thenotebook on Fri, 06/14/2013 - 13:21 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Elizabeth Fiedler for NewsWorks
Philadelphia is trying to find new life for vacant school buildings or those that soon will be empty.
With 24 schools slated to close, a study by the University of Pennsylvania's School of Design looked at ways to reuse the structures.
Harris Steinberg said the worry is that the neighborhoods losing the schools will get more blight once the buildings are empty. Steinberg is the executive director of Penn Praxis, the clinical consulting arm of the School of Design at Penn.
Are plans to raise money for Philadelphia’s struggling schools unraveling?
Submitted by thenotebook on Thu, 06/13/2013 - 09:21 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Philadelphia City Council declined to vote on a bill Wednesday that would generate $22 million for the School District by increasing the liquor-by-the-drink tax to 15 percent from 10 percent. For now, it seems that there is not enough support for it to pass.
But Council President Darrell Clarke said the proposal is not dead. It also would need state-enabling legislation to become a reality. If that comes through, he said, Council could theoretically reconsider it.
“If the vote happens in Harrisburg, we’ll be in a position to do some things,” Clarke said, “and put revenue on the table for the School District.”
Attempt to hike tax on drinking in Philly falters
Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 06/12/2013 - 18:00 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Philadelphia Mayor Nutter's plan to increase the drink tax is on life support.
City Council President Darrell Clarke said lawmakers would not vote on the proposal Wednesday, signaling that there is not enough support now for it to pass. The plan, which requires state-enabling legislation, would raise the liquor-by-the-drink tax to 15 percent from 10 percent. It would raise $22 million for the struggling School District.
Pa. Senate Dems say Medicaid expansion could help fund Philly schools
Submitted by thenotebook on Wed, 06/12/2013 - 09:30 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Could some of the Philadelphia School District's financial woes be eliminated if Gov. Corbett expanded Medicaid eligibility?
State Senate Democrats have proposed a budget plan that would generate an extra $120 million for the School District. It boosts funding, in part, by counting on $154 million in savings by expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act.
Nutter calls for Council action this week on schools funding
Submitted by thenotebook on Mon, 06/10/2013 - 20:21 Posted in Latest news | Permalink
by Holly Otterbein for NewsWorks
Philadelphia's cash-strapped School District began mailing out layoff notices to nearly 3,800 employees last week. On Monday, Mayor Nutter again called on City Council and state lawmakers to take action in order to reverse the layoffs.
Nutter wants Council to pass legislation that would raise $67 million for the schools through taxes on liquor and cigarettes. He is also vowing to send $28 million to the District by improving the city's tax collections.
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