Schools Renew Request for City Money

With election over, City Council can take a less-fraught look at budget issues.

Photo by Jeff Fusco

Photo by Jeff Fusco

Now that the primary electionis over, City Council will take a look at the Philadelphia School District’s request for $105 million in new funds for the 2015-16 school year. The request has been on the table for months, but council members seemed reluctant to approve that much spending before an election.

“School district officials will urge council to agree to May or Michael Nutter’s proposed 9.4 percent property tax hike,” NewsWorks reports. “Council members have been reluctant to raise property taxes on the heels of Philly’s recent tax assessment overhaul, which drastically boosted bills for some in the city.”

School officials say the additional money, after several years of brutal cuts to school budgets, would help the schools begin to improve academic performance and school culture.