School District Awards $1.4M Contract To Uncover Cost-Cutting Areas

February 17, 2012 3:10 PM

(File photo by Mike DeNardo)

Reporting Mike DeNardo

Filed under

Education, Heard On, Local, News, Philadelphia, Politics, Syndicated Local, Watch + Listen

Election Returns

Check Out

By Mike DeNardo

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The School District of Philadelphia is spending money in the hopes of saving money.

The School Reform Commission has awarded a $1.4-million contract to the Boston Consulting Group, to help the district identify efficiencies as it decentralizes its operations.

Thomas Knudsen, the district’s “chief recovery officer,” says there are plenty of ways the district could streamline operations.

“Right now, we dispatch buses using grease pencils,” he notes by way of example. “That’s how primitive this is.”

Meanwhile, SRC chair Pedro Ramos says he’s talking with philanthropic sources about covering the cost of the contract.

“I am sufficiently confident that we can raise the bulk of the funds needed for this effort,” he tells KYW Newsradio.

The district has to cut $39 million in spending by June to balance this year’s budget.

MOST VIEWED GALLERIES

PHOTOS: Angelina Jolie Through The Years
PHOTOS: Celebrity Infidelity Scandals
PHOTOS: Celebrity Birthdays: May
PHOTOS: Top 20 Most Hated Hollywood Celebrities
PHOTOS: Celebrity Photobombs

School District Awards $1.4M Contract To Uncover Cost Cutting Areas

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2012/02/22/local-foundation-will-pay-for-cost-cutting-study-at-philadelphia-schools/ Local Foundation Will Pay For Cost-Cutting Study at Philadelphia Schools « CBS Philly

[...] The district last week hired the Boston Consulting Group to help restructure operations as it works to close a $71-million budget hole this fiscal year, and a $269-million dollar gap next year (see related story). [...]
keithnewman

Those who can’t do run school districts