PHILADELPHIA (May 15th, 2014) – A group of leading Philadelphia education organizations released the following joint statement responding to City Council President Darrell Clarke’s ordinance to extend the sales tax extension:
We commend the Council President’s introduction of the ordinance that is intended to extend the sales tax at its current rate and for the next fiscal year to transfer $120 million to the school district. However, because the ordinance requires state action to become effective, the District’s budget for next year is at grave risk which could be reduced by a Council ordinance that permits the current state law to take effect. Further, the ordinance will reduce the annual transfer to the District below $120 million beginning in FY 2016. This approach ensures that the school funding crisis will be revisited annually and that parents, teachers and other advocates for children will return to Council every year pushing for the City to make up the difference.
While the School District’s budget crisis is a result of nearly $1 billion in state education cuts and failure of the state to ensure public schools are adequately funded, we urge City Council to continue to support measures that will meet the School District’s budget request of $195 million in new local, recurring funds that are in place by this July.
Further we urge all Philadelphians to work collectively to ensure the passage of state legislation to permit a local cigarette tax rate increase that allows the City to increase its funding of the schools and invest state resources to restore the funding historically provided for charter school costs.
The above statement was signed on to by the following organizations: Education Law Center, Education Voters of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, Philadelphia Education Fund, Public Citizens for Children and Youth, and Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia.