Philadelphia School District rolls out latest Action Plan

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia School District Superintendent William Hite pitched his own plan today for the city's public schools and it included some of the details of Wolf's budget proposal.

Dr. Hite hailed Governor Wolf's plan to raise state funding to Philadelphia's school district by nearly $160 million.

"We're thrilled, I'm thrilled, with the governor's proposed budget," he said.

Hite hopes the new governor can get that through the Republican controlled general assembly.

If so he says he can launch the kind of district-wide reorganization he's had to delay during the district's cashed strapped days that forced 5,000 job cuts as he closed down 31 old school buildings.

Well performing schools, he says, will be granted an autonomy similar to what charters have, so he can focus on the chronic underperforming schools.

Dr. Hite said, "I'm excited for the opportunities for investments in the things that we think are extremely important."

For the first time in Hite's tenure the district will end the fiscal year in June with a balanced budget. But as always, storm clouds are on the horizon.

He explains, "We will end this year with a balanced budget. But July 1 starts a deficit again."

To get the school district completely back on its feet with the proper number of counselors and nurses and secretaries, Dr. Hite says he needs over 100 million new dollars from the city, and 206 million more news dollars from Harrisburg.

From City Hall late today comes word that Mayor Nutter will try to honor the school district's request for more than $103 million by proposing a property tax hike of 9 percent.