Councilman Jones: Funds For School Principals a Priority

Councilman Curtis Jones Jr. said in an interview Tuesday that he supports giving discretionary funds to principals as a way of improving education in the School District of Philadelphia.

Jones made the comments outside his office after a morning City Council hearing Tuesday, during which district officials came in front of the council to present the district's 2011-12 budget.

"No one has ever, in the history of politics, run on a platform of 'I want to raise your taxes,' Jones said. "Some things, particularly our young people, are worth it."

Mayor Michael Nutter said late Tuesday that he supports giving up to $110 million to the school district after the district requested those funds.

Jones echoed the comments of others in City Hall in saying that he probably doesn't just want the money to go into some sort of general fund.

"The sense I get in City Hall is we want to make sure the good money isn't placed after bad, that there are stipulations on how the money is spent," Jones said.

Full day kindergarten and student transportation are priorities for Jones. But he also highlighted the discretionary funds for principals as an important building block.

"(The schools) need strong men and women to deal with the school violence," he said. "They should be from the community and be able to deal with school violence."

If local principals are able to add funds at their discretion, Jones said, certain problems could potentially be nipped in the bud.

Ultimately, he said, City Council wants to help the school district.

"The school board is reluctant to make the ask," he said, referring to the district making a request for funding. "We're reluctant to not hear the ask."