Ackerman left Nutter out of the loop on kindergarten-funding solution

Mayor Nutter has spent the last few weeks advocating for more money to help Superintendent Arlene Ackerman solve the school district's budget mess, but somehow she left him out of the loop on her idea to save full-day kindergarten.

Two days after Nutter proposed raising taxes to grant Ackerman's request of up to $110 million in extra money from the city, Ackerman didn't fill Nutter in with her plans to lobby for a rule change to use federal money for kindergarten until shortly before the announcement.

Even though Ackerman was spotted near Nutter's office with her posse on Thursday, it seems she somehow failed to mention her plans.

"It's a big problem," mayoral spokesman Mark McDonald said Friday about the district's lack of communication with the administration.

"That's amazing," said Councilman Bill Green. "I don't know what their relationship is like. I don't want to speculate on it."

Nutter said he was "pleasantly surprised" but wondered what Title I programs will be cut to make up the $25 million change. Ackerman told Nutter she would figure it out in the next two weeks.

"I want to have a much more engaged, much closer working relationship with the school district so that we can see at the same time what they're looking at as well," Nutter said.