K-12 IMPLOSION UPDATE: Philly Schools Chief: I Need $50M To Open Schools:

Students in the Philadelphia School District could get an extended summer vacation if the city doesn’t make funds available for the district’s operation costs for the upcoming year.

If a written guarantee of $50 million in funding for bare bones operational costs is not given to the school district by August 16th, Superintendent Dr. William Hite says there’s a possibility schools may not open or there may be shortened class days.

“We will not be able to open all 218 schools for a full day program without the funds to restore crucial staff members. We cannot open functional schools, run them responsibly, or provide a quality education for students.”

Mayor Michael Nutter is hoping City Council will support the Governor Tom Corbett’s plan to make the temporary sales tax hike permanent so the city can borrow $50 million against that revenue for the school district. . . . Mike Mullins, whose son attends second grade at Penn Alexander Elementary school in West Philadelphia, has gone on a hunger strike to raise awareness of the financial crisis facing the school district. He says he is not sure right now if he is comfortable sending his child to a city public school.

Mr. Mullins is beginning to catch on. The costs keep going up, but the product is not improving. I am not surprised at stories like this.