Big cuts at Phila. School District

The Philadelphia School District yesterday said it will downsize its central office by 30 percent to close a $465 million shortfall, including $100 million in proposed cuts from Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget.

Further cuts will likely require teacher layoffs and the elimination of certain programs, but officials have declined to elaborate further until its budget is released next month. They also emphasized that the financial problems could get worse.

Corbett also encouraged teachers to take a pay freeze. Philadelphia teachers are scheduled to receive a 3 percent raise next year, but district officials would not say whether they will try revise the contract with the teachers union or whether they would ask Mayor Nutter to propose a property tax increase.