Philly school problems a cautionary tale of federal stimulus

As financial problems plague the Philadelphia city public school system and politicians at the state level cast blame, the specter of federal stimulus has come to bear.

At the end of last week, parents and students across Philadelphia County were relieved to hear classes would not start later because of an $81 million budget shortfall, as school officals discussed. Instead, schools will open as planned Sept. 8 but at severely reduced capacity.

“For the sake of minimizing disruptions for families and for the sake of educating children, we have made the decision to make a series of additional difficult, and hopefully temporary, cuts in order to open schools up on time,” said Philadelphia Superintendent William H. Hite in a news conference last week.

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