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Cigarette tax money, if it comes, would fill about half of the budget hole. The district is still pushing its teachers union for concessions. Superintendent William Hite says the district is no longer seeking across the board wage cuts.
Pennsylvania schools will have to make room for almost 400 undocumented children this fall. In Delaware more than 100 and in new Jersey, more than 1,500. In all, that's enough to fill nearly 70 classrooms.
Schools superintendent William Hite, standing next to the governor for the announcement, stressed that this early disbursement does not resolve the $81-million funding gap the school district needs to close to avoid layoffs and other serious cuts.
Governor Corbett on Monday failed to convince leaders in the House to meet this month and to vote on a two-dollar-a-pack tax on cigarettes.
The $2-per-pack tax, if passed by the state legislature, was expected to provide about $45 million in funding for the School District of Philadelphia.
The district is inviting principals and teachers to present their own instructional ideas to overhaul Philadelphia schools.
In all, 342 layoff notices are going out. A school district spokeswoman says this is unrelated to the cigarette tax standoff in Harrisburg.
Philadelphia's schools superintendent says if the state legislature doesn't authorize a cigarette tax by the middle of next month, he'll begin sending out pink slips.
Hillary Linardopoulos, of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, said the ballot question would be an important -- albeit symbolic -- statement.
Council president Darrell Clarke said an additional $30 million would serve as a stopgap in case Harrisburg approves a city tax on cigarettes.
Philadelphia school district officials are warning of dire consequences if the city and state don't quickly come through with millions in new funding.
Drexel paid $25 million for the school building, which the district closed last June.
The money comes from a group called the Children's Scholarship Fund Philadelphia -- from businesses who get Pennsylvania corporate tax credits for contributing.
The report, by the Policy Lab at Children's Hospital, says 17 percent of Philadelphia school students have been involved with DHS or the juvenile justice system, and 20 percent of those in high schools.
The School District of Philadelphia's plan to sell a shuttered high school to Drexel University appears to be a go, and that would mean an infusion of cash for the schools next week as officials struggle to pay the bills by month's end.
But the lawmakers voiced frustration at how the school district conducts its business.
School District of Philadelphia to host its first dramatic stage play ever. The play, presented Saturday at 8pm, is a fictional account of a meeting between civil rights leaders Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr.
City Council president Darrell Clarke says the school district's immediate need for $35 million by month's end is a "self-inflicted wound" because the district, in his view, dragged its feet on selling old, shuttered buildings.
Even so, the proposed legislation does not fully meet the district's needs for the coming year.
At a Council hearing this morning, school district COO Fran Burns said seven of the 27 buildings have buyers, and the rest are not likely to bring in as much as had been hoped.
Council President Clarke wants to revise the state's plan for city sales tax revenues so that over four years, the proceeds are split between the schools and the city pension fund. He and the mayor also want approval for a city tax on cigarettes.
The School Reform Commission has decided to defy the city charter and not pass a budget for next year on time.
It's a victory in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court for the School District of Philadelphia in its dispute with the Walter D. Palmer Charter School.
City Council president Darrell Clarke has decided to play it safe, adding a fallback provision to his plan to send sales tax proceeds to the cash-starved school district.
The incident happened around 2 p.m. at the Andrew Jackson School.
