The $40,000 cab ride
Why is the Philadelphia School District paying millions of dollars for taxicabs? The answer involves special education, school choice, and lots and lots of lawyers.
Listen 12:07
(PlanPhilly Image)
What would you expect to find in a public school district’s budget – money for books? Basketballs? What about $38 million for taxi cabs? On this episode of The Why, WHYY education reporter Avi Wolfman-Arent examines why the school district has absorbed this cost, and what it says about the future of urban education.
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
Brought to you by The Why
The Why
There’s more to every story if you take the time to tell it.
Well-liked…but is he well-tested? The backstory of Philly’s new superintendent
Philadelphia’s new school leader impressed at his old job in North Carolina. But his superintendent resume is thin. How will it translate to Philly?
2 years ago
Listen 5:56
New report lays out what Philadelphians want in next school superintendent
The Philadelphia Board of Education sought public input on the district’s next leader. Nearly 6,000 people weighed in.
3 years ago
Ahead of Philly magnet school application deadline, some parents frustrated by new process
With the application deadline for Philly’s magnet schools looming, some parents say the district’s revamped admissions process is causing children “immense pain and stress.”
3 years ago