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SRC Plans For More Openness
The topic of the SRC special meeting yesterday was passage of the 2007-2008 school year budget. The board, acceding to public complaints, eventually agreed to delay the budget vote until tomorrow at 9 a.m. The purpose of the delay was to have time to create a process for more public input into decision-making - a process that could be cemented into a budget resolution.
By Jim McCaffrey
Philadelphia - Philadelphia's School Reform Committee yesterday was shamed by overwhelming public anger into agreeing to develop new policies for public input into its decision-making process.
The SRC at the same meeting, however, continued its disregard for public process when one member admitted that during a meeting recess, there were violations of the state open meetings law - an issue The Bulletin has repeatedly raised with the board.
The topic of the SRC special meeting yesterday was passage of the 2007-2008 school year budget. The Home Rule Charter requires the district to pass its budget by May 31.
The board, acceding to public complaints, eventually agreed to delay the budget vote until tomorrow at 9 a.m. The purpose of the delay was to have time to create a process for more public input into decision-making - a process that could be cemented into a budget resolution.
The public can sign up to speak at tomorrow's budget hearing until today at 4 p.m. The district phone number, along with a draft of the '08 budget, is available on the Web site at www.phila.k12.pa.us.
There were 44 speakers signed up to address the SRC yesterday. Every one of them was there to complain about budget cuts and the lack of public input in the budget decisions.
Included among the speakers were Mayor John Street, Democratic nominee for mayor Michael Nutter and NAACP President Jerome Mondesire.
Mayor Street told The Bulletin prior to the meeting his administration would ask for a delay in the budget vote.
The decision to delay the budget vote, short as it is, can none-the-less be seen as a victory for the mayor. When put together with the mayor's success at getting the legislation to zone SugarHouse Casino commercial-entertainment and his successful effort to get a hearing scheduled for the casino bill it was a good week for the mayor.
"I think a resolution to delay the budget vote will get us to where we need to be," the mayor said. "I think it is possible for the SRC to adopt a resolution that satisfies the statute requirement but still reserves the right to make changes in the budget."
The board did not agree with the mayor's assessment. It said in its public discussion later it could not delay the vote beyond what the charter allows. School finance needs would prevent it from holding the vote past the charter mandate. It did agree with the mayor in that it could still amend the budget after more public hearings (and after receiving more information from the city and the state about their contributions to the school district next year).
The mayor additionally announced he believes the school district needs more money from the city. That is a major policy change from Mayor Street.
The school district has for years at every budget cycle repeatedly asked for a contribution of $10 million from the city in funding and services. The Street administration has always ignored the request. Councilman Wilson Goode has introduced and managed to get passed a bill that will shift an extra 2 percent of property taxes, an estimated $18 million to the school district.
The mayor opposes Goode's bill but yesterday he said he still believes the city needs to find a source of new revenue - increased fees or higher taxes seem to be the only options - that would bring the school district more than the $18 million the Goode bill would provide.
He promised, "I'm committed to getting money for the SRC - more money than the Goode bill will provide - because I think [the Goode bill] is a start but not enough."
Later Street, the mayor whose administration may be remembered best for trading no-bid contracts for campaign donations, complained to the SRC that its process allowed for no public process.
"Part of the problem," he said, "is there is no response [to public remarks] from the SRC. Does anyone on the SRC feel responsible to respond?"
Nutter claimed he agreed with 99 percent of Mayor Street's remarks.
"Transparency is critically important," he declared.
The SRC meeting room was filled with angry parents organized to express no confidence in the budget and no confidence in the budget process.
They were lead by Helen Gym and Greg Wade of the Home and School Council.
"We cannot accept the budget. We cannot accept the budget process," Gym declared. "That is why you have our vote of no confidence."
The parents complained repeatedly about funding Education Management Organization schools (EMOs) at the expense of arts programs, after school programs, sports and other school needs.
The SRC's amended budget, introduced yesterday, includes $6 million more for EMOs than the original budget recommended. This is surprising to some as there have been at least three reports publicly and privately released in the last few months criticizing the performance of EMO schools. On the other hand the EMOs have been a pet project of the Pennsylvania Legislature where Philadelphia School District gets most of its operating budget.
Mondesire criticized the SRC for its "failure to build a broad based political coalition."
At the end of public testimony the SRC recessed.
SRC Chairman Jim Nevels announced it was taking a break.
The Bulletin asked board member James if the SRC discussed the budget during its break in violation of the Sunshine Act.
He responded thoughtfully. "We went downstairs and we were deliberating about the budget. Maybe we were [violating the Sunshine Act]."
Under the State Sunshine Act public bodies must conduct all business in public. The exceptions are issues of personnel and real estate transactions.
Board Counsel Sherry Swirsky insisted the board "met with inside counsel and outside counsel and we were giving legal advice. It was not a violation of the Sunshine Act."
Though the board may receive information during its executive sessions it may not deliberate on issues, as Gallagher conceded it was doing.
Nevels refused to comment.
Jim McCaffrey can be reached at jmccaffrey@thebulletin.us.
The SRC at the same meeting, however, continued its disregard for public process when one member admitted that during a meeting recess, there were violations of the state open meetings law - an issue The Bulletin has repeatedly raised with the board.
The topic of the SRC special meeting yesterday was passage of the 2007-2008 school year budget. The Home Rule Charter requires the district to pass its budget by May 31.
The board, acceding to public complaints, eventually agreed to delay the budget vote until tomorrow at 9 a.m. The purpose of the delay was to have time to create a process for more public input into decision-making - a process that could be cemented into a budget resolution.
The public can sign up to speak at tomorrow's budget hearing until today at 4 p.m. The district phone number, along with a draft of the '08 budget, is available on the Web site at www.phila.k12.pa.us.
There were 44 speakers signed up to address the SRC yesterday. Every one of them was there to complain about budget cuts and the lack of public input in the budget decisions.
Included among the speakers were Mayor John Street, Democratic nominee for mayor Michael Nutter and NAACP President Jerome Mondesire.
Mayor Street told The Bulletin prior to the meeting his administration would ask for a delay in the budget vote.
The decision to delay the budget vote, short as it is, can none-the-less be seen as a victory for the mayor. When put together with the mayor's success at getting the legislation to zone SugarHouse Casino commercial-entertainment and his successful effort to get a hearing scheduled for the casino bill it was a good week for the mayor.
"I think a resolution to delay the budget vote will get us to where we need to be," the mayor said. "I think it is possible for the SRC to adopt a resolution that satisfies the statute requirement but still reserves the right to make changes in the budget."
The board did not agree with the mayor's assessment. It said in its public discussion later it could not delay the vote beyond what the charter allows. School finance needs would prevent it from holding the vote past the charter mandate. It did agree with the mayor in that it could still amend the budget after more public hearings (and after receiving more information from the city and the state about their contributions to the school district next year).
The mayor additionally announced he believes the school district needs more money from the city. That is a major policy change from Mayor Street.
The school district has for years at every budget cycle repeatedly asked for a contribution of $10 million from the city in funding and services. The Street administration has always ignored the request. Councilman Wilson Goode has introduced and managed to get passed a bill that will shift an extra 2 percent of property taxes, an estimated $18 million to the school district.
The mayor opposes Goode's bill but yesterday he said he still believes the city needs to find a source of new revenue - increased fees or higher taxes seem to be the only options - that would bring the school district more than the $18 million the Goode bill would provide.
He promised, "I'm committed to getting money for the SRC - more money than the Goode bill will provide - because I think [the Goode bill] is a start but not enough."
Later Street, the mayor whose administration may be remembered best for trading no-bid contracts for campaign donations, complained to the SRC that its process allowed for no public process.
"Part of the problem," he said, "is there is no response [to public remarks] from the SRC. Does anyone on the SRC feel responsible to respond?"
Nutter claimed he agreed with 99 percent of Mayor Street's remarks.
"Transparency is critically important," he declared.
The SRC meeting room was filled with angry parents organized to express no confidence in the budget and no confidence in the budget process.
They were lead by Helen Gym and Greg Wade of the Home and School Council.
"We cannot accept the budget. We cannot accept the budget process," Gym declared. "That is why you have our vote of no confidence."
The parents complained repeatedly about funding Education Management Organization schools (EMOs) at the expense of arts programs, after school programs, sports and other school needs.
The SRC's amended budget, introduced yesterday, includes $6 million more for EMOs than the original budget recommended. This is surprising to some as there have been at least three reports publicly and privately released in the last few months criticizing the performance of EMO schools. On the other hand the EMOs have been a pet project of the Pennsylvania Legislature where Philadelphia School District gets most of its operating budget.
Mondesire criticized the SRC for its "failure to build a broad based political coalition."
At the end of public testimony the SRC recessed.
SRC Chairman Jim Nevels announced it was taking a break.
The Bulletin asked board member James if the SRC discussed the budget during its break in violation of the Sunshine Act.
He responded thoughtfully. "We went downstairs and we were deliberating about the budget. Maybe we were [violating the Sunshine Act]."
Under the State Sunshine Act public bodies must conduct all business in public. The exceptions are issues of personnel and real estate transactions.
Board Counsel Sherry Swirsky insisted the board "met with inside counsel and outside counsel and we were giving legal advice. It was not a violation of the Sunshine Act."
Though the board may receive information during its executive sessions it may not deliberate on issues, as Gallagher conceded it was doing.
Nevels refused to comment.
Jim McCaffrey can be reached at jmccaffrey@thebulletin.us.
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