The Incredible Shrinking D.C. Surplus
So just how much cash does the District of Columbia's school system actually have? Good question, and there's a big interagency fight here in town going on to get to the bottom of it.
You may remember that last year that the district's school system cited a huge budget deficit to justify the layoffs of over 260 educators. The Washington Teachers' Union claimed that the deficit was being contrived by the district, but lost a court case arguing to have those teachers reinstated.
Then, Rhee stunned the D.C. council last week—and incensed the union—by saying that preliminary budget figures from show a $34 million surplus to help fund the performance-pay program in the district's tentative bargaining pact. The WTU took the surplus as further evidence that Rhee contrived the budget cuts, and it is planning to reopen its suit against the district.
Except that there's a new wrinkle: The $34 million surplus doesn't really exist, says D.C.'s chief financial officer,
You may remember that last year that the district's school system cited a huge budget deficit to justify the layoffs of over 260 educators. The Washington Teachers' Union claimed that the deficit was being contrived by the district, but lost a court case arguing to have those teachers reinstated.
Then, Rhee stunned the D.C. council last week—and incensed the union—by saying that preliminary budget figures from show a $34 million surplus to help fund the performance-pay program in the district's tentative bargaining pact. The WTU took the surplus as further evidence that Rhee contrived the budget cuts, and it is planning to reopen its suit against the district.
Except that there's a new wrinkle: The $34 million surplus doesn't really exist, says D.C.'s chief financial officer,