The Chester Upland district in Pennsylvania has received an infusion of nearly $5 million in state aid to keep paying teachers and staff while officials work to develop a financial-recovery plan for the struggling school system.
District officials say they will meet with charter operators to discuss a new funding formula. Chester Upland pays nearly $64 million to charter schools, which educate about half the district’s nearly 7,000 students.
Lawyers for the district and the governor’s office have blamed what they contend is an unfair funding formula. They say their plan, which includes reducing charter school payments, would enable the district to turn a projected $22 million annual deficit into a $3 million surplus.
