Dive Brief:

• History is repeating itself in Philadelphia as the city's school superintendent, WIlliam R. Hite Jr., made an 11th hour appeal Tuesday for a minimum $96 million in funding for next year.
• Hite says that the $96 million minimum is needed just to provide a "wholly inadequate" education next year, but the city council is set to take a summer break beginning Thursday and a budget must be agreed upon by June 30.
• Pennsylvania is facing a $1.2 billion budget shortfall, but, according to Hite, a lack of extra funding for Philly schools will result in substantial teacher layoffs, class sizes over 40, and, potentially, schools not opening in the fall.

Dive Insight:

Philadelphia schools were also on the brink of not opening last fall, when the district faced a $304 million deficit and ultimately had to borrow $50 million to open schools on time. Teachers in the city even turned to crowdfunding to ensure their classes were fully stocked with supplies. The district can't really benefit if it has to borrow money to open schools again, and it's hard to say whether or not crowdfunding could even work for its teachers again. Hopefully, the city and state are able to work out a fix soon.