Mayor Nutter Signs Agreement To Give City More Control Over School District
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Mayor Nutter is heralding an agreement with the School District and the state which gives the city more info about school finances, and more say over how the district is run.
Mayor Nutter in a Sunday letter demanded a signed agreement, if he was to support more city money for schools. Now he has it. The so-called "Education Accountability Agreement" among the city, state and the School Reform Commisison gives the mayor input on SRC resolutions before they're put to a vote, and it provides funders a detailed accounting of how district money is spent.
"That's helpful in the decision making process. And with that information, hopefully, you might make a different decision or a better decision understanding what you're giving up for what you're trying to get," said Mayor Nutter.
What the agreeement does NOT do is outline how the city will come up with about $100 million in new revenue the district says it needs to restore bus transportation, reduced class size efforts and other programs.
The district also gave the city a grid outlining which programs would be restored and in what order should extra city money be provided. The district is banking on the state providing $57 million in charter school reimbursement. State education secretary Ronald Tomalis says this agreement does not promise more state money.
"It is not a statement as to what's going to happen in Harrisburg. Those conversations are going to continue to go on in relations to the budget."
Reported by Mike DeNardo, KYW Newsradio
