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Philly's Schools Chief To Testify Before City Council During Budget Hearings

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- City Council's budget hearings continue on Tuesday with schools superintendent William Hite on the hot seat. But that seat may not be as warm as previous years.

The reception in City Council may be a little more friendly Tuesday, because the Philadelphia School District does not plan to ask for an increase in local revenues. At least, not this year. Superintendent William Hite, however, says he does want council to look down the road.

"We're facing a pretty significant deficit in our five-year plan - not necessarily next year, but in the following years," Hite said. "So what do we do right now to prepare for that?"

Hite says with expenses rising at twice the rate of revenues, help will be needed on the back-end of his plan.

"We're in a very different place right now," he said. "And what our 'ask' is, is that we all come together -- all of our stakeholders come together -- to create a plan for how we address the deficits that we're facing three years from now."

The district expects to finish this school year with a modest surplus. The district's $2.8 billion spending plan for next year banks on more state money -- and assumes the governor Tom Wolf's budget will be adopted.

 

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