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RESOLUTION
Urging
the support of the General Assembly of Pennsylvania to support
the Governor’s proposed 2006-2007 education budget
Whereas,
the City of Philadelphia cannot continue to revitalize its
economy without creating and maintaining an educated workforce
that is prepared the meet the challenges of the 21st century
knowledge-based economy; and
Whereas,
the success of students in Philadelphia is vital to the
economic well-being of the state as a whole; and
Whereas,
the Philadelphia School District has made considerable strides
toward improving the quality of education in Philadelphia’s
schools, and is in the process of continuing broad based
reforms; and
Whereas,
the Philadelphia School District still faces the difficult
task of providing an adequate level of education for its
diverse student body of 196,000, many of whom attend struggling
inner city schools; and
Whereas,
due to the budget that has passed the State House, the Philadelphia
School District is currently facing a shortfall that is
forcing cuts in schools across the district in areas including
classroom staff, library staff, and extracurricular programs
for the 2006-2007 academic year; and
Whereas,
these potentially steep cuts for the 2006-2007 academic
year and beyond have caused serious concern among City parents,
students and education advocates; and
Whereas,
the Philadelphia School District depends heavily on the
$25 million state appropriation; and
Whereas,
the Governor proposed budget contains the $25 million to
fund 43 of the lowest performing schools in the School District
and to help finance private managers running several of
its schools; and
Whereas,
the City of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia School District
entered into a partnership with the State of Pennsylvania
in 2001 with the expectation that this annual appropriation
was not bound by any specific time limit; now, therefore,
be it
Resolved
by the City Council of Philadelphia, that we hereby urge
the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
to adopt the Governor’s proposed 2006-2007 education
budget.
Blondell
Reynolds Brown
Councilwoman At-Large
May 4, 2006
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