The School District of Philadelphia plans to eliminate hundreds of school-based positions by reassigning staffers to vacant roles as part of an effort to cut $225 million from the budget for next school year.
Superintendent Tony Watlington revealed the cuts Friday, saying they are needed to eliminate a $300 million structural deficit by the 2029-2030 school year. That deficit, he said, is the result of “historic underfunding” and the end of federal COVID-19 funding.
But he said his plan avoids teacher layoffs and prevents job cuts at the 18 schools that the district has recommended for closure.
Under Watlington’s budget plan, the district would reassign 340 school-based employees into other vacant roles and eliminate 220 substitute positions. Those measures are expected save the district $56 million.
At the district’s central office, 130 vacant positions would be eliminated and a hiring freeze would be implemented. The plan also calls for implementing “budget efficiencies” and reducing contracts and programs that have low returns on investment, Watlington said. All together, these measures are estimated to save $169 million.
Watlington is expected to present his budget proposal to the school board later this month. The board will vote on a spending plan by the end of May.
In a statement, Watlington said the structural deficit forced the district to make tough budget decisions.
“This kind of challenge is not exclusive to Philadelphia – there are public school districts across the country having similar experiences,” Watlington said. “But I can promise you that the School District of Philadelphia has prioritized protecting schools and classrooms – our units of change – as well as the number one and number two levers for accelerating student achievement and growth: highly qualified, well-supported and stable teachers and principals over time.”
The budget cuts come on the heels of the district revealing its 10-year, $2.8 billion facilities plan, which initially called for closing 20 of the district’s 307 buildings. Two schools — Russell Conwell Middle School and Motivation High School — were removed from the list last month following pushback from the community. If the facilities plan is approved, another 159 schools will be modernized and six would be co-located.
That plan has drawn criticism from community members, parents and students. On Feb. 26, hundreds of opponents shared their concerns at a school board meeting that lasted into the early morning. City Council members also have come out against the facilities plan, with one proposing legislation that would allow City Council to impeach school board members.