See how your school would be affected by the Philadelphia district’s proposed staffing cuts

“Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system. Nearly every Philadelphia school would lose staff next year under the district’s preliminary plan to eliminate 340 school-based positions to plug its budget hole. But some schools would suffer more than others, according to a school-by-school breakdown of the proposed cuts created by the district and obtained by Chalkbeat. Schools that receive additional funding because they used to be part of the district’s Acceleration Network, which Superintendent Tony Watlington dissolved in 2024, would be hit particularly hard. And climate staff, who are in charge of creating a safe environment and monitoring hallways, would lose the largest number of positions. West and Southwest Philadelphia and Kensington are three of the neighborhoods where schools would receive the deepest cuts. The members of City Council who represent those areas say they’re already worried the school district is disproportionately hurting their neighborhoods through its separate plan to close schools beginning in 2027. The preliminary budget cuts add salt to the wound, they say. In total, the district would cut around 149 teachers, 23 counselors, 119 climate staff, and 47 other support and administrative staff from its full-time equivalent positions. These cuts are not yet finalized, and district officials say there will be openings for all school-based staff whose positions are eliminated. The projected cuts represent estimates from before principals finalize their school budgets, according to a statement from the district’s Chief Financial Officer Mike Herbstman about the school-by-school breakdown. That means the breakdown could change. Schools with shrinking enrollments could lose more positions outside of these cuts. There’s still a chance the cuts don’t go through. Mayor Cherelle Parker, who’s publicly opposed the proposed staff reductions, has championed a rideshare tax that she and Watlington said earlier this week would enable the district to avoid eliminating school-based positions . Debora Carrera, the city’s chief education officer under Parker, noted at a press conference that climate staff intervene to defuse conflicts at school: “They are the eyes and the ears of our schools. They know when children are struggling or suffering.” But the $1 per ride tax requires approval from the City Council. It’s unclear if members will support it. And that proposal would not save the 220 building substitute positions the district also plans to cut. In the meantime, schools are moving forward with preliminary budgets for next year that include cuts that teachers have said could derail learning . Last week, teachers began receiving notice that their schools plan to eliminate their positions and they should apply to others. Former Superintendent William Hite launched the district’s Acceleration Network as a way to funnel additional resources to struggling schools in hard-to-staff neighborhoods. When Watlington did away with the network two years ago, he said the 13 schools previously in the network would keep the additional funding. This new round of proposed cuts would end those extra resources and apply additional cuts to those schools. The result is these schools would lose the most positions under the preliminary plan. Former Acceleration Network school James Rhoads, for example, would lose the full-time equivalent of more than 13 staff, including four teachers and nine climate staff. Another former Acceleration Network school, Delaplaine McDaniel, would lose four teachers and around five climate staff. Schools that could close avoid potential 2026 cuts The Board of Education has not yet approved Watlington’s proposal to close 18 schools beginning in 2027 , but Watlington has said schools on that closure list will be protected from budget cuts this year. Still, some City Council districts where several schools would close under the district’s plan are home to schools that are also being hit hardest by the budget cuts. For example, the district that includes Kensington, Hunting Park, and Frankford would lose the equivalent of 63 full-time school staff members. It’s also where several schools are slated for closure. “Many of those positions are filled by people who are from the neighborhood or who have been in those schools for many years,” said Councilmember Quetcy Lozada, who represents the area. Together, the proposals for staff cuts and school closures are “causing additional challenges and stress on my community,” she said. Councilmember Jamie Gauthier, who represents parts of West and Southwest Philadelphia, said in a statement that she was “dismayed” that the proposed budget cuts would eliminate 51 full-time equivalent school staff positions in her district. “This harm is compounded by the fact that the current version of the School District’s facilities master plan invests less in our communities than almost any other Council District,” said Gauthier. Lozada said she did not have a position yet on Parker’s proposed rideshare tax. Gauthier said she was reviewing the proposal. “We need to be careful about new taxes that we know will fall on consumers, especially if they won’t stop the closure of our neighborhood schools,” said Gauthier. Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that affect students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org . Carly Sitrin is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Philadelphia. Contact Carly at csitrin@chalkbeat.org .

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