Mayor and Council President Pledge to Find Dedicated, Recurring Local Revenue Source to Fund the Positions in Future Years
PHILADELPHIA — Mayor Cherelle L. Parker today announced she had reached an agreement with City Council President Kenyatta Johnson to find a recurring and predictable local source of revenue to save 340 school-based positions from being eliminated in the coming school year.
At a news conference at School District headquarters today, Mayor Parker, flanked by the Council President, School District Superintendent Dr. Tony B. Watlington Sr., and School Board President Reginald Streater, said that she and Council President Johnson have agreed to work together to find a dedicated, recurring local revenue source over the next year that will provide $48 million annually to save these school positions.
Today’s announcement comes nearly one week after Council gave preliminary approval to Mayor Parker’s proposed FY27 City budget, which included a Council-amended, one-time $48 million increase in local funding to the School District to help save the positions from elimination. As they had throughout the budget process, Superintendent Watlington and School Board President Streater made clear after that preliminary vote that the District needed predictable and recurring revenues to save the 340 school positions, so they remained in danger of elimination—until today’s agreement with the Mayor and the Council President.
“Throughout our budget process this spring, I was laser-focused on proposing and advocating for a recurring, local revenue source that generates $50.4 million for our School District, to save these positions from elimination and protect our children’s progress,” said Mayor Parker. “When Council voted last week to approve a one-time new appropriation of $48 million for schools in FY27, along with a Use & Occupancy tax of $2.4 million on cell phone towers, that was appreciated, but we knew we needed more. My finance and budget teams worked around the clock to identify potential budget cuts to save these 340 positions. I had a full and productive meeting with Council President Johnson today about these issues, and I’m pleased to report that my Administration and Council are publicly committed to working in the months ahead to identify $48 million in recurring local revenues that will go to the School District, protect these school positions, and help our children continue to succeed.”
The Mayor further noted that if Council and the Mayor’s Office cannot find and agree on that recurring local revenue source, her staff has identified potentially painful cuts in city programs to fund the 340 school positions. But the goal is to identify new dedicated local revenue to go to the School District.
“City Council is keeping its commitment to work collaboratively with advocates, educators, labor partners, and the Parker Administration to ensure that our schools have the resources they need while creating a pathway toward long-term stability,” said Council President Kenyatta Johnson. “Additional, predictable funding allows the School District of Philadelphia to plan responsibly, retain staff, and focus on student achievement rather than budget crises. It is Christmas in June for the public school children of Philadelphia.”
Superintendent Watlington gave the official news at the press conference today that the 340 positions have been saved from elimination, based on the Mayor’s announcement with the Council President.
“Thank you, Madame Mayor and President Johnson for working to enable us to restore the funding for the 340 positions. A great way to end the school year!” Watlington said. “We’re grateful that we have an education Mayor and supportive members of City Council who are working on behalf of the School District of Philadelphia, its teachers, staff, and others who support our schools and our students. This is intergovernmental work at its best! We are grateful! Thank you, Madame Mayor, Council President Johnson, and members of City Council!”
Board President Streater said, “It is crystal clear that the Mayor, the Board of Education and City Council all agree on the ‘why’—Philadelphia’s children deserve this and more. I am grateful to Mayor Parker, Council President Johnson, City Council, Superintendent Watlington, my colleagues on the Board of Education, and the District’s tireless staff for our collective partnership, patience, and unwavering commitment to our students and their academic success. Together, we preserved critical positions that support student learning, and our local government advanced a bona fide commitment to identifying sustainable, recurring funding for our schools. Today’s action reflects what is possible when we keep students at the center of our decisions.”
Today’s agreement comes as the School District continues to build on hard-earned progress for Philadelphia students. Earlier today, district officials announced that the Class of 2026 earned nearly $450 million in scholarship offers, secured more than 6,000 college acceptances, and saw nearly 800 students earn Career and Technical Education (CTE) certifications. These achievements build on broader gains across the District, including rising graduation rates, improved attendance, stronger academic performance, and national recognition as a leader in post-pandemic learning recovery. Together, these results underscore the importance of providing schools with a recurring, dependable local revenue source that protects progress and expands educational opportunity for Philadelphia students for years to come.