City schools, state money: annual tug of war

A FEW FACTORS - present and emerging - should help Philly's ever-embattled public schools, and by that I mean help wring more money from a tight-fisted Legislature.

And, yeah, I know it's an annual game: cries of crises, days of doubt.

But this time, there are differences.

For one, Philly isn't the only district in distress.

York teachers face 40 percent pay cuts over the next four years. Allentown just canned 100 teachers. Other districts are eliminating kindergarten and school nurses, cutting programs and closing buildings.

So there's pressure for targeted school aid, no matter who caused the need.

Also, high-ranking Corbett-administration officials privately say that for the first time in a long time, numbers detailing Philly's needs are actually believable.

As such, the administration is serious about finding funding solutions.

Without solutions, Philly lays off 3,800-plus teachers, aides, counselors, assistant principals and secretaries while shutting down art, music and athletics.

This "doomsday budget," approved by the School Reform Commission, would render the district a warehouse for (according to district data) 149,535 kids.

And, yeah, I know, some say it already is.

But the fact is the state runs the schools, Gov. Corbett's appointees run the SRC and Corbett doesn't want to be running for reelection with hell breaking loose in Philly and with districts across the state in chaos.

Also, Corbett wants, among other things, a big-dollar, new revenue transportation bill for infrastructure repairs and mass transit.

Such a bill sailed through the Senate but faces problems in the House because many in the Republican majority won't vote for anything raising taxes or fees.

This presents opportunity for the usually rudderless, powerless 26-member Philly delegation, best known for, well, nothing.

That could change. Their votes for transportation can be held back to trade for votes on schools.

So, statewide pain, Corbett's campaign and legislative dealing are pluses in the district's plight.

It's just that City Council and the Legislature face June 30 budget deadlines and some harsh realities.

The city's legislative delegation is unorganized.

Council is not acting on Mayor Nutter's plan to hike the by-the-drink tax.

And state officials, even those sympathetic to district needs, say they don't have the $120 million Nutter seeks in additional aid.

The district deficit, $304 million, is proposed to be closed with $120 million from the state, and the rest roughly split between teachers' union concessions, increased collection of delinquent taxes and hikes in city cigarette and drink taxes.

The drink tax is in danger because it's opposed by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98 boss John "Johnny Doc" Dougherty who some district backers say is to local Democrats what Grover Norquist is to many Republicans - a powerful unelected influence.

"Doc" tells me the drink tax hurts local taverns and working folks and is a heavy lift for too little gain. He adds, "I've told a couple politicos I think it's a dumb tax. I don't support it but I haven't lobbied against it. If people respect my opinion, I appreciate that."

Meanwhile, the head of the city's House delegation, Rep. Cherelle Parker, says, "doing nothing is not an option . . . we're willing to sit down with all parties."

Senator Vincent Hughes, the closest thing Philly has to a legislative leader (he's Democratic chairman of the GOP-controlled Senate Appropriations Committee), says, "We're in deep water here. Of all the budget issues, this is most pressing. And it must be resolved statewide."

Which gets us to where the money is, and isn't.

Democrats sought a delay in a scheduled business tax cut. A spokesman for Senate GOP Leader Dominic Pileggi says that's not in the cards.

Philly's 8 percent sales tax is set to revert to 7 percent next June. There's talk of keeping it at 8 percent and dedicating future revenue, an estimated $130 million, to schools. But that would increase the city's share of saving a state-run district.

The argument that the state owns the district (since December 2001) and is therefore responsible for its operations is a sound one; and the main reason present and emerging factors should steer city schools through the current crisis.