Public school officials in Philadelphia say they’ll use $33 million in savings and new funding to recall laid-off music teachers and school secretaries and restore fall sports programs that were axed.
The Philadelphia Inquirer says the School Reform Commission also voted late last month to expand two successful schools, open a new high school, and turn over three low-performing schools to charter operators.
Faced with a $304 million shortfall in June, the district laid off nearly 3,900 employees and eliminated art, music, and athletic programs.
Superintendent William Hite Jr. says the $33 million comes from district savings initiatives and increases in the state’s basic education funding and city tax collections.
