Notes From the Field
Submitted by Frank Murphy, February 15, 2011
Dr. Ackerman and her administrative team have finally acknowledged that the school district is facing a financial crisis. They are anticipating a budget shortfall in excess of $400 million. This is not unexpected news. There has been considerable speculation in recent months of this possibility.
The size of this shortfall can grow even larger in the coming months depending on the outcome of three other factors. First, the state might pass a voucher law that will be funded by revenue that would normally go to school districts. Second, the Philadelphia School District may be forced to remove the cap on the number of students that current charter schools can enroll, if it loses a pending lawsuit. Third, the state might cut the basic subsidy to public school districts as a means to deal with its own budget issues.
In the face of likely painful cuts to school district programs, Dr. Ackerman has stated, “What will be our first priority is the welfare of our students.”
Doing what is best for our children in this scenario will be extremely difficult. The magnitude of the cuts that will be necessary in order to balance the school district’s budget will be great. There is little doubt that there will be deep cuts to essential services. Ackerman and her team have already acknowledged the possibility of teacher layoffs, an increase in class size, elimination of music, art, and sports programs, and cuts to school budgets. All of these possibilities will do harm to every student who attends a school district school.
Ackerman however is not willing to cut her costly Renaissance scheme for restructuring some district schools. By continuing on with this plan to convert eight more schools into charter-operated ones, the district is voluntarily lifting the cap on the amount of money that it is willing paying to charter school providers – thus giving away much needed funding to private operators. Additionally the budgets of many of the district’s schools will be further slashed in order to fund Promise Academies. The costs to the district to fund charter schools and Promise Academies are far greater than those expended on other district schools. The budgets of Promise Academies are inflated with the payroll costs for extending their school day and for working an additional month in the school year. It has been reported that an additional million dollars in other expenditures is lavished on each Promise Academy.
To continue to insist on these expenditures in the next school year will shortchange the majority of students who attend our district schools. The additional money that is spent on Promise Academies would certainly go far in off setting the possible elimination of arts, music, and supports programs in every district school. The tens of millions of dollars that would be paid to charter school operators in order to open eight more schools could be used to reduce the possibility of a drastic increase in the number of students in district classrooms.
Dr. Ackerman said she is concerned for the welfare of every student in the school district. If she is sincere in making this statement, she needs to pursue a realistic plan for reducing the district’s budget – one that will take into consideration the effect that such reductions will have on everychild. Arts programs and reduced class size initiatives, both of which are critical factors in the academic success of all children, must not become the sacrificial lambs that fund costly and experimental ventures.
The Renaissance School Plan is an unproven school reform strategy. There isn’t any independently verified data that suggests that it has had or will have any substantive impact on the thirteen schools that are currently involved in the first year of implementation.
Without significant evidence of its worth and in the face of such dire financial uncertainty, to continue to squander vital resources on the Renaissance School initiative is a less than responsible course of action.
It is time for our district leadership to do the right thing and serve all of its students well.