The Schools Are 50 Million Short (Philadelphia, Montgomery: real estate, 2013, bankrupt)

[tintin19119]

Good old Nutter's answer is TAXES. Thank God city council wants to do what I have been saying for awhile now. Selling real estate to developers ,which creates new tax base. Nutter and his mindless followers do not have a clue. I`M glad city council is not drinking the Kool Aid like some people.
Mayor, Council respond to dire warning from Phila. schools superintendent | 6abc.com

[Marius Pontmercy]

Then what about next year?

The funding system for the PSD is not sustainable. Something needs to be worked out that still puts the students first. I'd rather see massive pay cuts or a restructuring of how the district is run than maintain the current system and cut staff and programs.

[MikeNigh]

If a suburb can fund their schools, why exactly can't philly?

[mcguirk]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

If a suburb can fund their schools, why exactly can't philly?

One system is mostly black kids.

[PhillyViaBoston]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

If a suburb can fund their schools, why exactly can't philly?

Suburbs are facing a crisis too. The state owes billions (yes, BILLIONS) more in retirement benefits to public school employees than it currently has. (You know, the same kind of thing that just sent Detroit bankrupt.) The burden is increasingly falling to local school systems, and that's not going well for any of us.

Google "pennsylvania public schools employees retirement system crisis" and you'll get a flavor for the problem.

[PhillyViaBoston]

Originally Posted by Marius Pontmercy

Then what about next year?

The funding system for the PSD is not sustainable. Something needs to be worked out that still puts the students first. I'd rather see massive pay cuts or a restructuring of how the district is run than maintain the current system and cut staff and programs.

The funding system for the public school employees retirement benefits is not sustainable. Unfortunately, no one faced that reality that when benefits were dramatically expanded in the early 2000s (before a global financial crisis or two). We're now paying the price... Despite taxes rising, less and less of that money actually makes it to the schools because more and more of that money is going toward retirement benefits. (It's not necessarily mismanagement of funds; it's lack of available funds.)

The options for "restructuring" those previously negotiated retirement agreements? We'll there's the Detroit model...

[s1oozne]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

If a suburb can fund their schools, why exactly can't philly?

Where do you think the money and resources for those suburbs came from? Montgomery County, Central/Far Delco, and Bucks County get funds that would have otherwise gone to Philadelphia and other older districts. That is combined with the fact that the state has been giving less and less to public education since 1970.

The Broad Foundation is behind many of these "crisis" situations all over the country. Their whole goal is to privatize education, not to mention how ALEC wants to privatize education, cut funding, and increase funding for prisons it seeks to privatize. Philadelphia schools have been under state control since the late 90s, and the state has been trying to privatize the district ever since. They originally wanted to give control of the entire district to Edison, a for profit company, and the corrupt Mayor Street signed a deal with them to have Edison run multiple public schools in the city.

Every single one of these superintendents and other people in power in education that aren't elected are there to do one thing and that is to promote and further the agenda of either the state or whoever gives them money.

[rotodome]

Originally Posted by MikeNigh

If a suburb can fund their schools, why exactly can't philly?

Not sure if you read this article from a couple of weeks ago, but the picture is not so rosy for suburban school districts either.

The School Tax Vise - Philly.com

[mancat100]

Originally Posted by rotodome

Not sure if you read this article from a couple of weeks ago, but the picture is not so rosy for suburban school districts either.

The School Tax Vise - Philly.com

At least most of those districts get good results. So there's actually real value attached to the taxes- unlike in the city.

[PhillyViaBoston]

Originally Posted by mancat100

At least most of those districts get good results. So there's actually real value attached to the taxes- unlike in the city.

Maybe for now, but (from the article)...

"Because of a long-term deficit in the underfunded pension plan, district contributions to the Public School Employees Retirement System will rise from 12.36 percent to 16.93 percent next year and 21.31 percent the following year."

Your local school district is now paying 12.36% of their tax income to fund retirement benefits (PSERS). In two years they'll be paying 21.31% of their tax income to PSERS. The ability to "get good results" will be increasingly more difficult.