Keep school choice, Evans warns district

State Rep. Dwight Evans called the Philadelphia School District's top official yesterday with a stern warning: Don't eliminate or severely reduce funding for private groups managing 41 public schools, or else face a loss of state funding.

The state has earmarked $25 million in annual funding for outside groups that manage city schools, $18 million of which has gone to the six groups called Educational Management Organizations (EMOs). Evans and several other legislators had indicated in recent months that funding could be in jeopardy if the district fired the groups, but Evans decided Philadelphia School Reform Commission Chairman James Nevels needed to hear the message again and directly.

Evans (D., Phila.), who chairs the House Appropriations Committee, a key position in budget deliberations, said he also had told Nevels that he was dismayed that the commission delayed action on new charter schools.

"To mess with the EMOs and to mess with the charters would be a huge mistake for the overall district," Evans said in a telephone interview. "I'm not going to go along with them just making arbitrary decisions on EMOs and charters. I will not look favorably" on that.

The six groups are the for-profit Edison Schools Inc. and Victory Schools Inc., the nonprofit Universal Cos. and Foundations Inc., and the University of Pennsylvania and Temple University.

The commission could vote on new contracts for the groups as soon as Tuesday, when it considers adoption of a $2.18 billion budget. The budget still needs nearly $55 million in new state funding, plus new city funding, to close a deficit.

Nevels praised Evans for his interest and help in improving the schools; Evans was a key architect of the legislation that allowed a state takeover, and he has worked closely with Foundations, which is overseeing schools in his legislative district.

"I, for one, will carefully consider his suggestion and his request," Nevels said last evening. "I don't think there can be any doubt that the diverse-provider model has been a feature of the progress that has occurred in Philadelphia and should be supported."

The commission may consider modifying the contracts, possibly allowing some of the outside-managed schools to become charters or have more autonomy in the district, he said.