Philadelphia public schools, employees remain in limbo

Despite new a new funding plan hatched in Harrisburg, the School District of Philadelphia continues to be in limbo over whether it can rehire laid-off employees.

The School Reform Commission held a meeting that ran for about 10 minutes, in order to pass a bond offering.

The borrowed money will provide cash-flow until real estate tax money comes in. The SRC does this every year. Commission head Pedro Ramos is not ready to say if any of the 38-hundred layoff notices will be rescinded.

“An enormous amount of work obviously continues to be necessary on all fronts both in terms of generating savings needed at the district and generating revenue and implementing the proposal,” said Ramos.

Ramos says a great deal of number crunching will have to be done to address just how much money will be available and which cuts can be reversed.

A school district source says the outcome of the teachers’ contract negotiations will be critical in determining just how many jobs will be saved.

The district is seeking more than $130 million in concessions from the union. The existing contract expires next month.