PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia principals are vowing to fight what they say are cuts to individual schools next year. The school board Thursday night adopted a draft version of next year’s $3.9 billion budget.
Principals say some schools will have fewer assistant principals and support staff next year. The district says that’s because of changes in how the money is appropriated, and a sharp drop in enrollment.
In fact, said District Chief Financial Officer Uri Monson, schools are getting $170 million more than the year before.
“The number of assistant principals in the system will actually be higher, based on school budgets — five more than our record number this year. The number of school climate managers — there are 14 more in school budgets, again, because of how principals use their discretionary dollars.”
The district has been using American Rescue Plan money to pay for two extra positions at schools that are academically off track. Next year, only one position would be funded.
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Julian Graham, the assistant principal at Bartram High School, told the school board that principals should not have to beg for money.
“In many of our schools, students are dealing with teacher and staff shortages, leading to loss of learning and an unsafe environment,” Graham said. This should not be the status quo. But with the budget fallout, it will only get worse.”
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Monson said the new system is designed to be more equitable: “We try to look at investments on a per-pupil basis, not a per-building basis.”
However, enrollment is dropping sharply, as families move or opt for charters.
“Taking resources away from our schools will not bring those children back,” said Lauren Overton, principal at the Penn Alexander School. “Every child deserves art, music, technology, a librarian.”
Monson told the school board that the ratio of staff to students was as good as it has been since 2010.
The school board will vote on the final version of next year’s budget in May.