| The Road to Student Success
It’s déjà vu all over again – Philadelphia students will once again have to make do with less. Instead of reckless state cuts (see below), this time it’s because the federal government didn’t renew valuable funding that made a massive difference for kids.
Mayor Parker’s proposed a bold new funding stream that will keep 240 staff school-based positions from the chopping block: a $1 per ride fee on rideshares in the city. This would raise $48 million for the district, a lot for kids but a drop in the $160 billion rideshare industry bucket.
Within hours of Parker’s announcement, social media was flooded with lots of questions that seemed to be fueled by the rideshare industry, like “Where are our tax dollars going?” We’ll break it down for you:
The Cigarette Tax
- Governor Corbett cut $1 billion in public school funding in 2011, digging a fiscal hole so deep PA schools are still working to fill it.
- The School District of Philadelphia was forced to layoff 3,800 staff. Schools were stripped of all counselors, aides, and art and music programs.
- In response, City Council got permission from the state to impose a $2/pack Philly cigarette tax which brings around $50 million year.
The Soda Tax
- Philadelphia voters passed the soda tax in 2016 to fund pre-k and rec centers.
- Since then, nearly 26,000 three- and four-year-olds have gotten free, quality pre-k since 2017 through the PHLpreK program.
- Nearly 60% of PHLpreK parents say that having free pre-k allows them to work longer or different hours, pay their rent, and purchase basic necessities.
- 1,200 new permanent jobs were created across more than hundreds of pre-k programs.
- More than 70 recreation centers, playgrounds, and athletic fields have been renovated in neighborhoods across the city, including the newly restored Kingsessing Recreation Center.
Philadelphia isn’t breaking new ground with this rideshare fee. Chicago charges $1.13 per ride and New York City adds $2.75 to each ride, both higher than Parker’s proposal. People with higher incomes – at least $90,000/year – are 41% of rideshare users. To be sure, college students and young professionals are the biggest Uber/Lyft users but they have many less expensive transportation options.
This is a lot of information, but Children First hopes it will help you cut through some of the noise about where tax dollars are going and why we need them. Knowledge is power and now you have the power to make an informed decision regarding how to help children and teens in Philadelphia. It’s up to us to put them in the right direction. |
