The Bobster
Senior News Editor since 2004
16
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/03062005_...llyschools.html
Philly Schools Get $30 Million
PHILADELPHIA-March 6, 2005 --Philadelphia schools will get about $30 million more in federal aid for disadvantaged students this school year, a 21-percent jump to $171 million dollars.
The increase in Title I aid is far higher than the 3 percent national average. But while the news is good for the district, the reason behind it is not so positive.
The number of city children living in poverty is growing, at least relative to other cities, said Todd Jones, the district's associate deputy secretary for budget.
Between 2000 and 2002, census figures show that Philadelphia moved from the 15th poorest U.S. city to the 10th poorest.
"I'm pleased we'r
e getting more money," schools chief Paul Vallas said. However, he said, "t
he bottom line is that our poverty rate is not declining fast enough."
Pennsylvania's total Title I allotment grew 12 percent, from $432.7 million to $476 million, but two-thirds of that increase is for Philadelphia.
Poverty appears to be growing across Pennsylvania, due to the loss of manufacturing jobs and the slow rate of job growth, one economist said. Child poverty in Pennsylvania grew 35 percent from 2000 to 2003, going from 326,000 children to 440,000, according to Stephen Herzenberg, an economist at Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg.
The Philadelphia School District will use $15 million to $20 million of the additional money, and direct the rest to charter schools and to the state for administrative costs, Vallas said.
Title I funding is used largely to help districts meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind act, which threatens sanctions if sc
hools do not make steady academic progress each year.
Nationally, the Title I budget has grown by about
50 percent, to more than $12 billion, since President Bush took office.
But many people say it still does not fund the law's mandates, such as the requirement that all children be proficient in English and math by 2014.
Philadelphia's share of Title I funding has nearly doubled, growing by 90 percent, since the law was passed, after Congress shifted more money to the poorest districts.
That's causing many districts to lose funding, however.
"It causes resentment on the part of school districts because they're all bound by the No Child Left Behind act," said Jack Jennings, president and chief executive officer of the Center on Education Policy. "Many school districts say they have to spend their own money to carry out the federal law."
According to the Education Department, Delaware County districts saw a 13.2 percent fu
nding increase over fiscal 2004, Chester County a 2.7 percent increase, Bucks County a 5 percent increase and Montgomery County a 9 percent increase.
PHILADE
LPHIA-March 6, 2005 --Philadelphia schools will get about $30 million more in federal aid for disadvantaged students this school year, a 21-percent jump to $171 million dollars.
The increase in Title I aid is far higher than the 3 percent national average. But while the news is good for the district, the reason behind it is not so positive.
The number of city children living in poverty is growing, at least relative to other cities, said Todd Jones, the district's associate deputy secretary for budget.
Between 2000 and 2002, census figures show that Philadelphia moved from the 15th poorest U.S. city to the 10th poorest.
"I'm pleased we're getting more money," schools chief Paul Vallas said. However, he said, "the bottom line is that our poverty rate is not declining fast enough.&q
uot;
Pennsylvania's total Title I allotment grew 12 percent, from $432.7 million to $476 million, but two-thirds of that increase is for Philadelphia.
Poverty appears to be growin
g across Pennsylvania, due to the loss of manufacturing jobs and the slow rate of job growth, one economist said. Child poverty in Pennsylvania grew 35 percent from 2000 to 2003, going from 326,000 children to 440,000, according to Stephen Herzenberg, an economist at Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg.
The Philadelphia School District will use $15 million to $20 million of the additional money, and direct the rest to charter schools and to the state for administrative costs, Vallas said.
Title I funding is used largely to help districts meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind act, which threatens sanctions if schools do not make steady academic progress each year.
Nationally, the Title I budget has grown by about 50 percent, to more than $12 billion, s
ince President Bush took office.
But many people say it still does not fund the law's mandates, such as the requirement that all children be proficient in English and math by 2014.
Philadelphia's share of Titl
e I funding has nearly doubled, growing by 90 percent, since the law was passed, after Congress shifted more money to the poorest districts.
That's causing many districts to lose funding, however.
"It causes resentment on the part of school districts because they're all bound by the No Child Left Behind act," said Jack Jennings, president and chief executive officer of the Center on Education Policy. "Many school districts say they have to spend their own money to carry out the federal law."
According to the Education Department, Delaware County districts saw a 13.2 percent funding increase over fiscal 2004, Chester County a 2.7 percent increase, Bucks County a 5 percent increase and Montgomery County a 9 percent increase.
<b
r>
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/03062005_...llyschools.html
Philly Schools Get $30 Million
PHILADELPHIA-March 6, 2005 --Philadelphia schools will get about $30 million more in federal aid for disadvantaged students this school year, a 21-percent jump to $171 million dollars.
The increase in Title I aid is far higher than the 3 percent national average. But while the news is good for the district, the reason behind it is not so positive.
The number of city children living in poverty is growing, at least relative to other cities, said Todd Jones, the district's associate deputy secretary for budget.
Between 2000 and 2002, census figures show that Philadelphia moved from the 15th poorest U.S. city to the 10th poorest.
"I'm pleased we'r
e getting more money," schools chief Paul Vallas said. However, he said, "t
he bottom line is that our poverty rate is not declining fast enough."
Pennsylvania's total Title I allotment grew 12 percent, from $432.7 million to $476 million, but two-thirds of that increase is for Philadelphia.
Poverty appears to be growing across Pennsylvania, due to the loss of manufacturing jobs and the slow rate of job growth, one economist said. Child poverty in Pennsylvania grew 35 percent from 2000 to 2003, going from 326,000 children to 440,000, according to Stephen Herzenberg, an economist at Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg.
The Philadelphia School District will use $15 million to $20 million of the additional money, and direct the rest to charter schools and to the state for administrative costs, Vallas said.
Title I funding is used largely to help districts meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind act, which threatens sanctions if sc
hools do not make steady academic progress each year.
Nationally, the Title I budget has grown by about
50 percent, to more than $12 billion, since President Bush took office.
But many people say it still does not fund the law's mandates, such as the requirement that all children be proficient in English and math by 2014.
Philadelphia's share of Title I funding has nearly doubled, growing by 90 percent, since the law was passed, after Congress shifted more money to the poorest districts.
That's causing many districts to lose funding, however.
"It causes resentment on the part of school districts because they're all bound by the No Child Left Behind act," said Jack Jennings, president and chief executive officer of the Center on Education Policy. "Many school districts say they have to spend their own money to carry out the federal law."
According to the Education Department, Delaware County districts saw a 13.2 percent fu
nding increase over fiscal 2004, Chester County a 2.7 percent increase, Bucks County a 5 percent increase and Montgomery County a 9 percent increase.
PHILADE
LPHIA-March 6, 2005 --Philadelphia schools will get about $30 million more in federal aid for disadvantaged students this school year, a 21-percent jump to $171 million dollars.
The increase in Title I aid is far higher than the 3 percent national average. But while the news is good for the district, the reason behind it is not so positive.
The number of city children living in poverty is growing, at least relative to other cities, said Todd Jones, the district's associate deputy secretary for budget.
Between 2000 and 2002, census figures show that Philadelphia moved from the 15th poorest U.S. city to the 10th poorest.
"I'm pleased we're getting more money," schools chief Paul Vallas said. However, he said, "the bottom line is that our poverty rate is not declining fast enough.&q
uot;
Pennsylvania's total Title I allotment grew 12 percent, from $432.7 million to $476 million, but two-thirds of that increase is for Philadelphia.
Poverty appears to be growin
g across Pennsylvania, due to the loss of manufacturing jobs and the slow rate of job growth, one economist said. Child poverty in Pennsylvania grew 35 percent from 2000 to 2003, going from 326,000 children to 440,000, according to Stephen Herzenberg, an economist at Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg.
The Philadelphia School District will use $15 million to $20 million of the additional money, and direct the rest to charter schools and to the state for administrative costs, Vallas said.
Title I funding is used largely to help districts meet the requirements of the No Child Left Behind act, which threatens sanctions if schools do not make steady academic progress each year.
Nationally, the Title I budget has grown by about 50 percent, to more than $12 billion, s
ince President Bush took office.
But many people say it still does not fund the law's mandates, such as the requirement that all children be proficient in English and math by 2014.
Philadelphia's share of Titl
e I funding has nearly doubled, growing by 90 percent, since the law was passed, after Congress shifted more money to the poorest districts.
That's causing many districts to lose funding, however.
"It causes resentment on the part of school districts because they're all bound by the No Child Left Behind act," said Jack Jennings, president and chief executive officer of the Center on Education Policy. "Many school districts say they have to spend their own money to carry out the federal law."
According to the Education Department, Delaware County districts saw a 13.2 percent funding increase over fiscal 2004, Chester County a 2.7 percent increase, Bucks County a 5 percent increase and Montgomery County a 9 percent increase.
<b
r>