Ackerman to take more furlough days

In the face of a looming budget crisis, Philadelphia schools chief Arlene Ackerman will take 20 unpaid furlough days - not 10, as she previously announced.

Ackerman will work on her furlough days, officials said. The move saves the district about $31,000.

After two years of relying on federal stimulus funds to help balance its budget, the district faces a potential gap of half a billion dollars or more for the 2011-12 school year, officials announced last week.

That's on top of a shortfall of about $40 million for this school year, which means a hiring freeze and sharp cuts to discretionary spending from now until June.

Next year, increased class sizes, layoffs, cuts to school budgets and a deeply slashed central office are all likely in the face of such a grim budget picture.

"I recognize first that central office spending must be reduced in order to maintain the tremendous academic progress that the city's schools have made in the last eight years," Ackerman said in a release.

Ackerman's top staff will also take furlough days. Deputy Superintendent Leroy Nunery will take 10 unpaid days; the rest of Ackerman's staff will take eight unpaid days; and any other non-union staff member who makes more than $100,000 will take six unpaid days.