Despite Billions In Taxpayer Funding, Blue City’s Schools Are Literally Falling Apart

Nearly 4 in 10 Philadelphia schools were assessed and rated as having “unsatisfactory” conditions despite the district having a $3.9 billion budget paid by taxpayers in the last fiscal year, according to multiple reports.

The partially-completed March 2022 assessment measured criteria such as the condition of the facilities, how many students were enrolled relative to capacity, and how well they support instruction, according to Billy Penn, a local news outlet.

The School District of Philadelphia’s Chief Financial Officer Michael Herbstman recently suggested a $4.45 billion preliminary budget for 2024 and a five-year outlook, which was approved with a 9-0 decision from the board, Chalkbeat reported, yet only 62% of schools were assessed with 23% scoring “unsatisfactory” while another 20% scored “poor.”