Skip to content
Politics
Link copied to clipboard

The ballot box as opinion poll on the SRC

Council approves a voter referendum to end the SRC that has no power to change how public schools are managed.

09/18/06  Democratic ward leader Bill Greenlee speaks to reporters after being chosen as a candidate for one of three vacant City Council seats in Philadelphia.  Daily News Photo / Jori Klein
09/18/06 Democratic ward leader Bill Greenlee speaks to reporters after being chosen as a candidate for one of three vacant City Council seats in Philadelphia. Daily News Photo / Jori KleinRead moreJori Klein

SYMBOLISM AND union anger trumped substance and legislative caution yesterday as City Council overwhelmingly approved a ballot referendum asking voters if the School Reform Commission should be abolished.

The question now: Will Mayor Nutter sign that measure into law, allowing the nonbinding referendum to appear on the Nov. 4 general-election ballot?

Councilwoman Jannie Blackwell, the legislation's sponsor, apologized to a raucous crowd of union members and education activists who were openly disappointed that she did not bring the subject up for a vote last week.

It passed yesterday in a 15-1 vote that drew loud cheering.

Blackwell said she held off on the vote last week after hearing concerns about sending "mixed messages" while the state General Assembly considers a local $2-per-pack cigarette tax to help close the Philadelphia School District's $81 million budget deficit.

The state House is scheduled to vote on the cigarette tax on Monday. The state Senate would schedule a vote if the House approves it.

Councilman Bill Greenlee cast the lone vote against the measure, citing his belief that non-binding referendums should not be placed on the ballot. He was loudly booed by the audience until Council President Darrell Clarke asked them to stop.

"The fact is, nothing changes if this referendum is supported by voters," Greenlee said. "In short, I don't think the city charter should be an opinion poll."

The referendum, if approved, has no legal power to change the status of the SRC.

The state took over the school district in 2001, replacing the local nine-member Board of Education with a five-member SRC.

The mayor had previously appointed board of education members. The governor now selects three SRC members while the mayor selects two.

The district has continued to struggle with budget deficits under state control. Blackwell said it was time for a change.

"If we want different results then we can't do the same things that we've done," she said.

Jerry Jordan, president of the Philadelphia Federation of Teachers, called the failure to vote on the measure last week a "shocking disappointment" by Council. He cited more than 40,000 signatures gathered on petitions in support of the referendum as reason to approve it.

Blackwell said Nutter needs to sign into law the referendum legislation by today to get it on the Nov. 4 ballot. It must be submitted 45 days before the election to get on the ballot, she said.

Nutter spokesman Mark McDonald said: "The mayor will give it the appropriate consideration."

Blog: ph.ly/PhillyClout.com