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Residents press council to protect school personnel as budget talks include a rideshare revenue proposal
Summary
Multiple speakers asked council to back a $50 million recurring local investment to prevent school staffing cuts; the administration described a per-ride levy on rideshares as a proposed funding source for the district.
At the town hall several community members and education advocates urged council to protect classroom staff in the School District of Philadelphia by supporting the mayor's proposed $50 million recurring local investment.
An education advocate who said they had evaluated dozens of charter schools described the $50 million as "the difference between students receiving support and crying under a desk or sitting forgotten." They told council that without local investment a reported $300 million district gap could trigger cuts that affect hundreds of teachers and specialists.
Speakers, including parents and a teacher from Harding Middle School, warned that proposed school closures and staff reductions would displace students and staff and urged a stronger facilities and staffing plan. Several commenters said a proposed per-ride rideshare fee — described by council staff at the meeting as capable of generating tens of millions annually — should be directed to the district to avoid teacher layoffs. The transcript contained inconsistent rideshare revenue figures; council staff indicated an estimate of about $48 million annually.
Council members acknowledged the district's shortfall and repeated that the council is reviewing proposals and looking for ways to stabilize funding while weighing impacts on residents. No formal vote occurred at the town hall; council members said further negotiation with the administration would follow in committee and at subsequent hearings.
