This article was originally published in The Notebook. In August 2020, The Notebook became Chalkbeat Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia School Reform Commission is here to stay, at least for a little while longer.
Gov. Wolf campaigned on the idea that he’d like to replace the SRC with a locally elected body, but proponents of that plan shouldn’t hold their breath.
There are two ways that the SRC could end: Either the state legislature could repeal the 2001 bill that created it in the first place or the five-member body could vote to self-destruct.
Wolf would prefer Philadelphia’s schools to be overseen by a democratically elected governing board, but he says he’s not going to put immediate pressure on either of those two options.
"My preference is to actually create an environment where an SRC isn’t necessary," he said in a recent interview.
Each of the other school districts in Pennsylvania has a nine-member elected school board. The SRC was established in 2001 when the Philadelphia District was considered to be in fiscal distress. The governor appoints three members to the board, and Philadelphia’s mayor appoints two. Unlike other districts, it does not have taxing authority — leaving it at the mercy of the city, state, and federal governments for resources.