Kasturi PananjadyWhat I DoI mine data for insights to inform reporting and visual storytelling, and have a particular passion for accountability journalism. East vs. West: How geography — and politics — play into how Pa. funds its schoolsWestern Pennsylvania school districts benefit from a hold harmless policy that protects funding despite declining enrollment, while districts in the eastern part of the state lose out on millions.Gillian McGoldrick and Kasturi Pananjady Jan. 10, 2024Link copied to clipboard4 injured in crash that derailed a SEPTA trolleyThe crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. when a Mercedes ran a red light and slammed into the trolley at the intersection of South 52nd Street and Chester Avenue in Kingsessing, SEPTA said.Diane Mastrull and Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboardThe Pa. budget includes historic school funding increases, but 1 in 6 districts still won’t keep pace with inflationWhile the proposed budget includes more than $700 million in additional money for K-12 schools, it’s less than the surge advocates and Democratic lawmakers had called for.Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham, and Kasturi Pananjady July 6, 2023Link copied to clipboardBad air quality poses a particular risk to children with asthma. In unequal Philly, those kids are mostly Black and Hispanic. In Philadelphia, which has a pediatric asthma rate that is roughly three times that of the national average, wildfire smoke from Canada is especially risky to Black and Hispanic children.Aubrey Whelan, Wendy Ruderman, Kasturi Pananjady, and Abraham Gutman June 7, 2023Link copied to clipboardWhat Philly immigrants want from the city’s next mayorThe forum was organized by United Voices for Philadelphia, a coalition of city organizations that support refugees and immigrants in Philadelphia, to allow candidates to interact with constituents.Kasturi Pananjady April 30, 2023Link copied to clipboardPhiladelphia residents reject using war-on-drugs-era policies to treat the opioid crisis, according to poll Black and Latino poll respondents were more likely to say that addressing the city’s opioid epidemic should be a top priority than their white counterparts.Aubrey Whelan and Kasturi Pananjady March 24, 2023Link copied to clipboardWatch the tax abatement spread across Philly over two decadesNew data show the shifting geography of abatement usage over 20 years.Jake Blumgart and Kasturi Pananjady Feb. 14, 2023Link copied to clipboardMost Pa. school districts don’t have enough money. Here’s how your district compares to others in the state.Property taxes make up the bulk of local revenue available to public schools. Because some districts have a wealthier property base they can tax, these revenues vary significantly.Maddie Hanna, Kasturi Pananjady, and Jasen Lo Sept. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboardFor every three Taylor Swift attendees, one came just to hang in the parking lot of her ‘Eras Tour’ in PhillyYou did a number on me. But honestly, baby, who’s counting? This data company, actually.Emily Bloch and Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 3, 2023Link copied to clipboardFireworks injuries are on the rise among teens and young adults, and Philly physicians are bracing for moreThe rate of fireworks injuries is highest among those aged 15 to 19.Tom Avril and Kasturi Pananjady July 1, 2023Link copied to clipboardHow did Cherelle Parker win? Here’s a deep dive into the votes.We analyzed the precinct data to study how the electorate broke down.Aseem Shukla, Kasturi Pananjady, and Leo Cassel-Siskind May 17, 2023Link copied to clipboardPa. has filled a record number of jobs. But a lot of people still aren’t working.A deep dive into the state’s labor data shows a slow, complicated recovery from the pandemic crash.Kasturi Pananjady and Lizzy McLellan Ravitch March 27, 2023Link copied to clipboardPhiladelphia’s driving equality law reduced traffic stops but not racial disparities in its first yearTraffic stops associated with the targeted violations dropped by 54%, or nearly 16,000 interactions, between 2021 and 2022, according to Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.Anna Orso, Chris Palmer, and Kasturi Pananjady March 3, 2023Link copied to clipboardOn Philly’s coldest day of the year, a celebration of ice cream. It’s about to get a whole lot warmerIt was a perfectly cold day for ice cream, but it might hit 60 on Thursday.Kasturi Pananjady and Anthony R. Wood Feb. 4, 2023Link copied to clipboardA Philly church and refuge for the Haitian community turns 30Over the past 30 years, the First Haitian Church of God of Prophecy has provided Philadelphia's growing Haitian population with a refuge in the midst of major geopolitical upheaval.Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboardA Bucks County town reels from a flood tragedy and worries about what might happen nextFEMA gives Upper Makefield strong marks for stormwater management and informing the public of flood risks. But despite its efforts to hold back the waters, they were not to be stopped on July 15.Anthony R. Wood, Kasturi Pananjady, and Ximena Conde July 22, 2023Link copied to clipboardThe I-95 collapse snarled Philly traffic — but not as much as you might thinkThe I-95 collapse wreaked havoc on traffic across the region at first. Drivers adapted quickly.Aseem Shukla, Kasturi Pananjady, and Thomas Fitzgerald June 23, 2023Link copied to clipboardA Philly charter school manipulated its lottery to keep kids out, a top administrator says (from May 2023)The school executive said students from certain zip codes were eliminated, and others were kept out because they or their siblings exhibited academic or behavioral problems.Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham, and Kasturi Pananjady May 7, 2023Link copied to clipboardMonths after the rest of the country, Pa. has finally returned to its pre-pandemic job marketThe state lost 1.1 million jobs in March and April 2020. As of January 2023, more than 100% of those jobs had been recovered, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry announced Friday.Lizzy McLellan Ravitch and Kasturi Pananjady March 24, 2023Link copied to clipboardPhilly won’t reassess properties this year to catch up on appeals backlog, officials say. The decision, which Mayor Jim Kenney announced as part of his budget proposal, means that the next property assessment will happen under Philadelphia's next mayor.Max Marin and Kasturi Pananjady March 3, 2023Link copied to clipboardSee more stories
East vs. West: How geography — and politics — play into how Pa. funds its schoolsWestern Pennsylvania school districts benefit from a hold harmless policy that protects funding despite declining enrollment, while districts in the eastern part of the state lose out on millions.Gillian McGoldrick and Kasturi Pananjady Jan. 10, 2024Link copied to clipboard
East vs. West: How geography — and politics — play into how Pa. funds its schoolsWestern Pennsylvania school districts benefit from a hold harmless policy that protects funding despite declining enrollment, while districts in the eastern part of the state lose out on millions.Gillian McGoldrick and Kasturi Pananjady Jan. 10, 2024Link copied to clipboard
4 injured in crash that derailed a SEPTA trolleyThe crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. when a Mercedes ran a red light and slammed into the trolley at the intersection of South 52nd Street and Chester Avenue in Kingsessing, SEPTA said.Diane Mastrull and Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
4 injured in crash that derailed a SEPTA trolleyThe crash occurred around 6:30 a.m. when a Mercedes ran a red light and slammed into the trolley at the intersection of South 52nd Street and Chester Avenue in Kingsessing, SEPTA said.Diane Mastrull and Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
The Pa. budget includes historic school funding increases, but 1 in 6 districts still won’t keep pace with inflationWhile the proposed budget includes more than $700 million in additional money for K-12 schools, it’s less than the surge advocates and Democratic lawmakers had called for.Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham, and Kasturi Pananjady July 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
The Pa. budget includes historic school funding increases, but 1 in 6 districts still won’t keep pace with inflationWhile the proposed budget includes more than $700 million in additional money for K-12 schools, it’s less than the surge advocates and Democratic lawmakers had called for.Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham, and Kasturi Pananjady July 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Bad air quality poses a particular risk to children with asthma. In unequal Philly, those kids are mostly Black and Hispanic. In Philadelphia, which has a pediatric asthma rate that is roughly three times that of the national average, wildfire smoke from Canada is especially risky to Black and Hispanic children.Aubrey Whelan, Wendy Ruderman, Kasturi Pananjady, and Abraham Gutman June 7, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Bad air quality poses a particular risk to children with asthma. In unequal Philly, those kids are mostly Black and Hispanic. In Philadelphia, which has a pediatric asthma rate that is roughly three times that of the national average, wildfire smoke from Canada is especially risky to Black and Hispanic children.Aubrey Whelan, Wendy Ruderman, Kasturi Pananjady, and Abraham Gutman June 7, 2023Link copied to clipboard
What Philly immigrants want from the city’s next mayorThe forum was organized by United Voices for Philadelphia, a coalition of city organizations that support refugees and immigrants in Philadelphia, to allow candidates to interact with constituents.Kasturi Pananjady April 30, 2023Link copied to clipboard
What Philly immigrants want from the city’s next mayorThe forum was organized by United Voices for Philadelphia, a coalition of city organizations that support refugees and immigrants in Philadelphia, to allow candidates to interact with constituents.Kasturi Pananjady April 30, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Philadelphia residents reject using war-on-drugs-era policies to treat the opioid crisis, according to poll Black and Latino poll respondents were more likely to say that addressing the city’s opioid epidemic should be a top priority than their white counterparts.Aubrey Whelan and Kasturi Pananjady March 24, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Philadelphia residents reject using war-on-drugs-era policies to treat the opioid crisis, according to poll Black and Latino poll respondents were more likely to say that addressing the city’s opioid epidemic should be a top priority than their white counterparts.Aubrey Whelan and Kasturi Pananjady March 24, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Watch the tax abatement spread across Philly over two decadesNew data show the shifting geography of abatement usage over 20 years.Jake Blumgart and Kasturi Pananjady Feb. 14, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Watch the tax abatement spread across Philly over two decadesNew data show the shifting geography of abatement usage over 20 years.Jake Blumgart and Kasturi Pananjady Feb. 14, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Most Pa. school districts don’t have enough money. Here’s how your district compares to others in the state.Property taxes make up the bulk of local revenue available to public schools. Because some districts have a wealthier property base they can tax, these revenues vary significantly.Maddie Hanna, Kasturi Pananjady, and Jasen Lo Sept. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Most Pa. school districts don’t have enough money. Here’s how your district compares to others in the state.Property taxes make up the bulk of local revenue available to public schools. Because some districts have a wealthier property base they can tax, these revenues vary significantly.Maddie Hanna, Kasturi Pananjady, and Jasen Lo Sept. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
For every three Taylor Swift attendees, one came just to hang in the parking lot of her ‘Eras Tour’ in PhillyYou did a number on me. But honestly, baby, who’s counting? This data company, actually.Emily Bloch and Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 3, 2023Link copied to clipboard
For every three Taylor Swift attendees, one came just to hang in the parking lot of her ‘Eras Tour’ in PhillyYou did a number on me. But honestly, baby, who’s counting? This data company, actually.Emily Bloch and Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 3, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Fireworks injuries are on the rise among teens and young adults, and Philly physicians are bracing for moreThe rate of fireworks injuries is highest among those aged 15 to 19.Tom Avril and Kasturi Pananjady July 1, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Fireworks injuries are on the rise among teens and young adults, and Philly physicians are bracing for moreThe rate of fireworks injuries is highest among those aged 15 to 19.Tom Avril and Kasturi Pananjady July 1, 2023Link copied to clipboard
How did Cherelle Parker win? Here’s a deep dive into the votes.We analyzed the precinct data to study how the electorate broke down.Aseem Shukla, Kasturi Pananjady, and Leo Cassel-Siskind May 17, 2023Link copied to clipboard
How did Cherelle Parker win? Here’s a deep dive into the votes.We analyzed the precinct data to study how the electorate broke down.Aseem Shukla, Kasturi Pananjady, and Leo Cassel-Siskind May 17, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Pa. has filled a record number of jobs. But a lot of people still aren’t working.A deep dive into the state’s labor data shows a slow, complicated recovery from the pandemic crash.Kasturi Pananjady and Lizzy McLellan Ravitch March 27, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Pa. has filled a record number of jobs. But a lot of people still aren’t working.A deep dive into the state’s labor data shows a slow, complicated recovery from the pandemic crash.Kasturi Pananjady and Lizzy McLellan Ravitch March 27, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Philadelphia’s driving equality law reduced traffic stops but not racial disparities in its first yearTraffic stops associated with the targeted violations dropped by 54%, or nearly 16,000 interactions, between 2021 and 2022, according to Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.Anna Orso, Chris Palmer, and Kasturi Pananjady March 3, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Philadelphia’s driving equality law reduced traffic stops but not racial disparities in its first yearTraffic stops associated with the targeted violations dropped by 54%, or nearly 16,000 interactions, between 2021 and 2022, according to Councilmember Isaiah Thomas.Anna Orso, Chris Palmer, and Kasturi Pananjady March 3, 2023Link copied to clipboard
On Philly’s coldest day of the year, a celebration of ice cream. It’s about to get a whole lot warmerIt was a perfectly cold day for ice cream, but it might hit 60 on Thursday.Kasturi Pananjady and Anthony R. Wood Feb. 4, 2023Link copied to clipboard
On Philly’s coldest day of the year, a celebration of ice cream. It’s about to get a whole lot warmerIt was a perfectly cold day for ice cream, but it might hit 60 on Thursday.Kasturi Pananjady and Anthony R. Wood Feb. 4, 2023Link copied to clipboard
A Philly church and refuge for the Haitian community turns 30Over the past 30 years, the First Haitian Church of God of Prophecy has provided Philadelphia's growing Haitian population with a refuge in the midst of major geopolitical upheaval.Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
A Philly church and refuge for the Haitian community turns 30Over the past 30 years, the First Haitian Church of God of Prophecy has provided Philadelphia's growing Haitian population with a refuge in the midst of major geopolitical upheaval.Kasturi Pananjady Aug. 6, 2023Link copied to clipboard
A Bucks County town reels from a flood tragedy and worries about what might happen nextFEMA gives Upper Makefield strong marks for stormwater management and informing the public of flood risks. But despite its efforts to hold back the waters, they were not to be stopped on July 15.Anthony R. Wood, Kasturi Pananjady, and Ximena Conde July 22, 2023Link copied to clipboard
A Bucks County town reels from a flood tragedy and worries about what might happen nextFEMA gives Upper Makefield strong marks for stormwater management and informing the public of flood risks. But despite its efforts to hold back the waters, they were not to be stopped on July 15.Anthony R. Wood, Kasturi Pananjady, and Ximena Conde July 22, 2023Link copied to clipboard
The I-95 collapse snarled Philly traffic — but not as much as you might thinkThe I-95 collapse wreaked havoc on traffic across the region at first. Drivers adapted quickly.Aseem Shukla, Kasturi Pananjady, and Thomas Fitzgerald June 23, 2023Link copied to clipboard
The I-95 collapse snarled Philly traffic — but not as much as you might thinkThe I-95 collapse wreaked havoc on traffic across the region at first. Drivers adapted quickly.Aseem Shukla, Kasturi Pananjady, and Thomas Fitzgerald June 23, 2023Link copied to clipboard
A Philly charter school manipulated its lottery to keep kids out, a top administrator says (from May 2023)The school executive said students from certain zip codes were eliminated, and others were kept out because they or their siblings exhibited academic or behavioral problems.Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham, and Kasturi Pananjady May 7, 2023Link copied to clipboard
A Philly charter school manipulated its lottery to keep kids out, a top administrator says (from May 2023)The school executive said students from certain zip codes were eliminated, and others were kept out because they or their siblings exhibited academic or behavioral problems.Maddie Hanna, Kristen A. Graham, and Kasturi Pananjady May 7, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Months after the rest of the country, Pa. has finally returned to its pre-pandemic job marketThe state lost 1.1 million jobs in March and April 2020. As of January 2023, more than 100% of those jobs had been recovered, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry announced Friday.Lizzy McLellan Ravitch and Kasturi Pananjady March 24, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Months after the rest of the country, Pa. has finally returned to its pre-pandemic job marketThe state lost 1.1 million jobs in March and April 2020. As of January 2023, more than 100% of those jobs had been recovered, the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry announced Friday.Lizzy McLellan Ravitch and Kasturi Pananjady March 24, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Philly won’t reassess properties this year to catch up on appeals backlog, officials say. The decision, which Mayor Jim Kenney announced as part of his budget proposal, means that the next property assessment will happen under Philadelphia's next mayor.Max Marin and Kasturi Pananjady March 3, 2023Link copied to clipboard
Philly won’t reassess properties this year to catch up on appeals backlog, officials say. The decision, which Mayor Jim Kenney announced as part of his budget proposal, means that the next property assessment will happen under Philadelphia's next mayor.Max Marin and Kasturi Pananjady March 3, 2023Link copied to clipboard