Scores of concerned city residents traveled to Harrisburg on Monday to press state lawmakers to bridge a budget gap threatening to delay the opening of Philadelphia public schools.

But their presence in the state capital appeared to have little effect on lawmakers who failed to reach agreement on Monday with Gov. Tom Corbett on a proposed cigarette tax, or an agreement to advance city schools enough money to open on time.

Protesters chanted loudly in the Capitol corridors on Monday, while leaders huddled privately to discuss a bill to authorize Philadelphia to levy a $2-per-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. Corbett is a Republican. Philadelphia city officials are dominated by Democrats, including Mayor Michael Nutter.

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

Shira Mandell was among the youngest in a group of Philadelphia residents who traveled to Harrisburg on Monday to press for more state funding for public schools across the city.

The 10-year-old girl, a rising fifth grader at Penn Alexander School in West Philadelphia, said she was making the trip to make a statement along with her family.

She planned on advocating for more public education funding in Harrisburg so that “classes can have [fewer] kids and so schools won’t have to be shut down.”

Mandell was accompanied by her sister, Ariella Mandell, 8, their mother, Jamie Kudera and grandmother, Muriel Kudera.

They rode to Harrisburg on one of two buses departing from the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey building on Monday shortly after 8:30 a.m.

School leaders have said state approval of a new $2-per-pack levy on cigarette packs sold in Philadelphia is a vital step in helping the district close a budget shortfall that stands at $81 million.

But the district would be in far worse condition without that new cigarette tax. School Superintendent William Hite Jr. said increased class sizes, layoffs for more than 1,000 instructional and non-instructional staff and cutbacks in cleaning and maintenance, student bus transportation and special education programs, would be inevitable.

As Democrat chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Vincent Hughes plans to hold a hearing Wednesday at 10 a.m. in City Hall. Mayor Michael Nutter and Council President Darrell Clarke are expected to join Hite in testifying about the impact to the school district in further delaying a vote on the cigarette tax bill.

School and city officials also said a delayed opening for public schools is possible.

Like her daughters, Jamie Kudera said she, too, is a product of Philadelphia public schools and the issue of public education funding is “very near and dear to my heart.”

“We’re going to Harrisburg because even the possibility that schools would open with fewer resources than last year is crazy,” she said.

Her mother, Muriel Kudera, worked as a math teacher for 32 years in Philadelphia public schools, including Tilden Middle School in Southwest Philadelphia and the now shuttered Edward Bok Technical School in South Philadelphia, before retiring.

“I’m very concerned about what’s going on in schools,” said Muriel Kudera. “In all the years I taught, nothing like this ever happened. We’re here to let Harrisburg know we’re here, and we’re paying attention.”

The Public Citizens for Children & Youth (PCCY), an educational advocacy group, took the lead in organizing the bus trip.

“Students and parents have put their summer plans on hold so they can go to the Capitol and show up, unlike the Legislature did,” said Anthony Hopkins, a spokesman for PCCY.

“They know school funding is important. The Legislature needs to now get that message, and that’s why we’re heading to Harrisburg,” he said.

The bus trip to Harrisburg had been scheduled the same day the House of Representatives planned to vote on an amended cigarette tax bill that would direct revenue to the School District of Philadelphia. But late last week, House leaders decided to wait until they returned from summer recess in September to vote on the measure and pension reform legislation.

An afternoon rally was planned at the Capitol Rotunda.

Fred McGowan, 71, of North Philadelphia, suggested turning up political pressure on elected state officials to provide adequate funding for public schools.

McGowan said those who travel to Harrisburg should take note of all legislators they made an appeal to and their exact responses, and record actions taken by those legislators regarding public education. He then suggested voting for elected officials based on their record on public education.

“Let’s send a message to Harrisburg that anybody who does not care about our schools does not care about our city, we do not support them. We need to stop putting people in who don’t care about us,” McGowan said on Monday.

Contact staff writer Wilford Shamlin III at (215) 893-5742 or wshamlin@phillytrib.com.

The Philadelphia Tribune – August 5, 2014 – Read article online