Update: Philly School District Lays Off Thousands

When the School Reform Commission approved the Philadelphia School District's 2013-2014 budget on May 30, a release from the district stated that the district would seek $133 million in personnel savings "which may be achieved through ... further reductions in [non-union] positions."

The first steps in closing that $133 million budget gap appear to have been taken.

CBS Philly is reporting that thousands of layoff notices were going out to district employees on Friday, citing a letter from superintendent William Hite in which he calles the eliminated positions "essential."

Read their full story here.

The district said in a statement that, despite school closings, staff reductions, elimination of counceling, nursing, art and music levels, "additional revenues and personnel savings are needed to ... improve academic outcomes for students in all [district] schools and ensure the district’s financial stability and sustainability."

Check back for more Patch coverage on this issue.

Update: 6ABC has a breakdown of where the district's 3,000+ layoffs are coming from here. According to their story, over 600 teachers and 120 assistant principals have been let go. The district has reduced its staff by nearly 20 percent in one day.