Philadelphia City Council authorized the City of Philadelphia to borrow $57 million on behalf of the School District of Philadelphia.

On Thursday, June 19, 2014, City Council authorized the City of Philadelphia to borrow $27 million on behalf of the School District of Philadelphia for Fiscal Year 2014. Additionally, City Council introduced a bill that gives the city authorization to borrow an additional $30 million for the district for Fiscal Year 2015. Thank you to everyone who contacted their councilperson to tell them that Philadelphia students deserved the full loan amount that the city could borrow.

This is a great first step, but it is not a long-term solution to education funding problems in Philadelphia. As Law Center staff attorney Michael Churchill in his testimony on the proposed District budget, “If you look at the four surrounding counties, the average district a year ago spent $17,593 per student, but Philadelphia had only $14,400 for its students, or $3,100 less per student. In terms of the overall budget that meant Philadelphia would need $630 million more just to equal the average.”

Continue to contact City Council and state government to let them know that Philadelphia students deserve better.