This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
by Kevin McCorry for NewsWorks
Last week, Philadelphia School District Superintendent William Hite received the $50 million assurance from the city that he had demanded in order to open schools on time.
Hite said the assurance would bring District schools back to a "functional" level.
But as District principals learn exactly how that money will be allocated to rehire staff for their schools, some disagree with his assessment.
"I have one counselor for 1,200 students? That’s not a functional level," said Marjorie Neff, principal at J.R. Masterman, which serves grades 5-12.
Neff said the District informed her Friday that the $50 million will allow Masterman to regain one counselor, one assistant principal, one more secretary, and $12,000 for building supplies. Neff says she typically spends that amount on supplies per month.