Wagner calls for security upgrades at Philadelphia school district

Pennsylvania’s Auditor General had some tough words for the school district of Philadelphia. 

Auditor General Jack Wagner is criticizing the Philadelphia school district for a lack of security, giving bonuses to the superintendent and failing to take an accurate headcount of students.

“We are calling in this audit for the reinstitution of a safe schools advocate,” said Wagner. “The safe school advocate was a position that was put and mandated by the general assembly in the years and was a position within the school district of Philadelphia for approximately nine years.”

The position was ended when the state money ran out, but Wagner says there possibly could be some new funding to help make city schools safer.

“There are 19 persistently dangerous schools within the school district of Philadelphia fortunately there has been a slight decrease in the past couple of years but there are only persistently dangerous schools within the school district of Philadelphia again a need for making sure the priority of the school district is safety the bottom line is we need a safe learning environment.”

The audit also calls for offering better training to the district’s police officers.