Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett announced the state will release the $45 million it has been withholding from the School District on Wednesday, local CBS News reported.
The money had been approved by the state legislature but was held up by Corbett's administration on a "contingent on whether the school district obtained sufficient concessions from the Philadelphia teachers union," CBS News reported.
Corbett made his decision after receiving a letter on Tuesday from the Philadelphia's school Superintendent Dr. William Hite stating the district officials were meeting the goals for academic and financial improvements, according to CBS News.
The money was needed in order for the schools to finish out the school year and Corbett's budget secretary, Charles Zogby, said the funds will be released shortly, CBS News reported.
"The reforms and the savings that the SRC has been seeking is integral to the long-term sustainability of the district and I think with this $45 million it's clear that this agreement with the PFT (Philadelphia Federation of Teachers) is the last remaining obstacle to achieving that," Zogby said, according to CBS News.
Hite said he's planning on using the money to rehire 400 teachers, assistant principals, secretaries and 80 guidance counselors, CBS News reported. The rest of the money will fund the district's music program for the rest of the year and fully fund the athletic programs.
"We're thrilled with these resources and that they're coming now," Hite told CBS News. "We would have liked to have had them at the beginning of the year."
The Philadelphia school district was facing a $304 million budget deficit, but emergency funding from the city helped close the gap and hired 1,000 of the staff back, according to CBS News.
The district still has a $100 million gap and many extracurricular activities and art programs have been cut, CBS News reported.
According to CBS News, Hite said that although "the release of this money is welcome news in what has been a very tough school year, but it is not a long-term fix, and the PFT, along with Philadelphia's students, parents and community leaders, will continue our efforts to get Harrisburg to implement an adequate and sustainable funding formula for public education across the Commonwealth."
