State Senators Asks Council, Mayor To Provide Schools Funding

We just got a copy of a letter that State Sen. Vincent Hughes and State Sen. Shirley Kitchen sent to Mayor Nutter and Council President Anna Verna yesterday, asking the city to provide more suppport for schools.

"Restoring additional state dollars for the district will be difficult given the budget challenges we face in Harrisburg," the letter states. "Additional support from the city would send a positive message to Governor Corbett and the Republican leadership in the House and Senate about our commitment to our children and will without question strengthen our had in budget discussions."

The schools face a $629 million funding gap for the fiscal year that starts July 1 and have asked the city to provide up to $110 million in additional funding. Nutter has said the city can't afford to shift exisiting tax revenues to the district, which seems to leave a tax hike as the only option to generate the cash. But so far Council has shown little appetite for raising taxes a second year in a row.