As Philadelphia schools try to adapt to the dismal conditions brought on by last summer's massive layoffs, the School District of Philadelphia announced some bad news. This year's budget will fall $440 million short and the district needs at least $96 million and a guarantee of $120 million from the city's sales tax to avoid another round of layoffs that would affect more than 1,000 teachers and staff.

On Friday, Superintendent William Hite told press that the $2.49 billion proposed budget   without additional revenue would raise class sizes to an average of 40 students and reduce schools to "empty shells." The $120 million from the city's proposed sales tax increase combined with an added $96 million would bring schools' operating budgets up to where they are now. An additional $75 million from the city, $50 million from the state, $95 million from the teacher's union would cover the entire budget shortfall and help improve literacy support, increase the number of counselors, restore extracurriculars, add Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate, dual enrollment and SAT prep programs, and improve school environments.

Last year, the district barely scraped $50 million from the city to get by after a $304 million budget shortfall threatened thousands of jobs for teachers, administrators, nurses, counselors, advisors, librarians and other staff. Currently, many district schools are operating without full time nurses, librarians and counselors. Some desperate teachers have been reporting school conditions through a recently launched website, including how physically sick or emotionally distraught children have no nurse or counselor to turn to.

The past three years' budgets have been reduced when the state shifted its funding responsibilities to localities. The Philadelphia School District, the largest in the state, also has more students attending charter schools than the rest of the states' districts combined. Philadelphia's growing number of charter schools, now at 86, have put a strain on the district's operating budget in recent years as well as state budget cuts.