NUTTER: Politicking for Schools

As Mayor, I will work with Governor Rendell and the General Assembly to revise the state funding formula for public schools. The state funding formula was changed in 1991 to de-emphasize special needs of students and now bases the state’s payments on the previous year’s funding (plus some ad hoc calculations).

However, the Philadelphia School District has grown by more than 10,000 students in that time, which has resulted in an annual shortfall for Philadelphia. Since this change in the formula in 1991, the gap in per pupil spending between Philadelphia and the surrounding school districts has increased from $1,109 to $2,125. Over a 12-year school lifetime, the average suburban school district invests $25,000 more in preparing each student for the future than Philadelphia does. No wonder so many of our children are not as prepared to enter college or the job market or are simply dropping out. As Mayor, I will lead the effort to revise the state’s funding formula in a way that will provide additional funding for Philadelphia’s children. The state’s funding system should be based upon the true costs of preparing a student for success in today’s world – early childhood education, great teachers, small classes, tutoring support, a rigorous high school curriculum and safe schools. It should be set at a level that allows all school districts to reach success, with a fair share of local funding, by including these elements.

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