A lengthy meeting between top Republican legislative leaders and Governor Corbett is over without a resolution of Philadelphia’s school-funding crisis.

Protesters chanted loudly in the Capitol corridors while leaders huddled privately to discuss a bill to authorize Philadelphia to levy a $2-a-pack cigarette tax to generate more than $80 million a year for city schools.

School district officials have said they’ll send out 1,300 layoff notices by Aug. 15 and schools won’t open as scheduled Sept. 8 unless the bill is passed.

Both houses have signaled support for the bill in preliminary votes but it’s been stalled by GOP in-fighting.

House Speaker Sam Smith says the Corbett administration could give the city an advance on its state subsidy for buy time for lawmakers to pass the measure.

An earlier story is below:

Top ranking Republican leaders in the Pennsylvania Legislature are meeting with Governor Corbett over a funding crisis that could prevent Philadelphia’s public schools from opening on time.

The meeting in the Capitol was taking place behind closed doors.

Outside the meeting, a small but noisy protest is underway.

It involves several dozen people: a mix of parents, teachers and students.

The governor and the legislative leaders will have to decide whether to allow the city to impose a $2-per-pack tax on cigarettes, a proposal that has stalled amid opposition from within the Republican caucuses.

House leaders last week canceled plans to consider the Philadelphia cigarette tax, leaving in doubt the city schools’ Sept. 8 opening.

WITF – August 4, 2014 – Read article online