Philadelphia teachers' union calls for district to reverse cuts after receiving $48 million in city budget

The union representing Philadelphia's teachers called on the School District of Philadelphia to reverse planned cuts after receiving $48 million in the preliminary budget.

Philadelphia City Council on Thursday approved Mayor Cherelle Parker's $7.1 billion budget without proposed new taxes on ride-hailing services and increases to taxes on hotels and short-term rentals.

While council plans to provide $48 million to the school district in Fiscal Year 2027, district officials said they still plan to move forward with cuts that could impact more than 300 jobs.

Superintendent Tony Watlington said Wednesday that the district was expecting to have a recurring funding source, such as the ride-hailing tax revenue.

A union official called the plan to still move forward with the cuts "deplorable."

"Their behavior once they now have the money, to not restore those positions to the schools, flies in the face of everything they say," Philadelphia Federation of Teachers President Arthur Steinberg said. "Their main concern is kids and the communities they serve? When you combine this with the way they handled the school closures, they're telling the public the opposite."

The budget package is now on schedule for final approval at council's June 11 meeting, the final session before lawmakers go on their summer break.