Camden schools to lay off 400

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports:

Faced with a $75 million shortfall, the Camden City School District announced plans to eliminate 575 positions, resulting in as many as 400 layoffs, based on a budget introduced Wednesday night.

Officials blame declining enrollment, overspending and cuts in federal funding for the shortfall, one of the largest in recent history. The budget preserves $16 million in new spending on Superintendent Paymon Rouhanifard's plan for the district.

To close the gap, the district will cut $29 million in nonpersonnel costs, use an $18 million balance projected as available at the end of this year, and cut $28 million through the layoffs.

The $359 million budget with a $7 million tax levy must be voted on by Tuesday. In the state-run district, only Rouhanifard needs to approve the plan, which is $33 million smaller than last year. State aid remained flat at $279.5 million.

The bubble has burst.