Due to budget cuts and a debt of $304 million, the Pennsylvania School Reform Commission voted on June 1 to close 23 Philadelphia public schools. This will lead to almost 3,000 jobs lost, numerous students without resources such as textbooks, extra-curricular activities, and even administration positions like assistant principals, librarians, and counselors. On the other hand, … [Read more...]
The Problem with Chicago’s School Closings
At the end of this year my city, Chicago is closing a total of 49 Elementary Schools which is the largest in the city’s history. The largest source of revenue for the district, 40% comes from local sources (mostly local property taxes). The state provides 31% of funding via the general state aid (GSA), based on a complicated formula set by the state legislature and finally the … [Read more...]