This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
http://www.youtube.com/embed/kLNhKH6CLko by Tom MacDonald for NewsWorks
Over the weekend, Pennsylvania’s Gov. Corbett brokered a deal to generate $127 million more for the Philadelphia schools as part of the state budget, although state taxpayers would not shoulder much of that burden. The money would mostly come from Philadelphia and Washington, and some of it would be "one-time" funding that can’t be counted on past the 2013-14 school year.
However, the mayor of Philadelphia says, "it’s not over until it’s over" when it comes to the city schools and the Pennsylvania state budget.
Mayor Nutter says that negotiations are still ongoing in Harrisburg to provide much-needed funding for schools in Philadelphia and that there is a chance that lawmakers might still allow the city to impose its own $2-per-pack cigarette tax.