Mayor Cherelle Parker is expected to make an announcement on Wednesday afternoon about her plans to fund Philadelphia public schools.
Parker and leaders from the School District of Philadelphia will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. at City Hall. The mayor's and school district officials' comments will be streamed live in the attached video player or wherever CBS News Philadelphia is streaming.
The mayor is expected to provide an update on her administration's plan to generate more than $50 million in new recurring revenue for education, according to her office.
Parker will be joined by Superintendent Tony Watlington and Debora Carrera, the mayor's chief education officer, among others.
The school district previously said it's facing a $300 million budget deficit.
Wednesday's announcement comes nearly a month after Parker announced a proposed $1-per-ride tax on ride-hailing services in Philadelphia to fund the school district. It's unclear if Wednesday's announcement is related to the proposed ride-hail tax.
The $1 fee would be five times the 20-cent-per-ride tax Parker initially proposed in her budget for fiscal year 2027 on March 12.
The mayor said last month the tax would raise about $48 million per year for the school district in fiscal year 2028 and $24 million for FY27. She claimed the tax would allow additional funding to the school district, allowing it to restore about 240 jobs.
The tax will take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, if approved by Philadelphia City Council.
Uber recently launched an advertising campaign calling out Parker's proposed tax on ride-hailing services. The ad called on Philadelphians to voice opposition to the tax, claiming it would affect people already facing a high cost of living, senior citizens and people with mobility issues.
In a statement last month, Uber spokesperson Jazmin Kay said, "This 400% increase to the additional tax, on top of the existing tax, will be passed on directly to riders who will pay more on each ride and will directly hurt hardworking drivers who will see their incomes cut as a result of reduced demand for rides. This means it will cost more to get around in Philly and will cost more for residents to get to their jobs, doctors' appointments, schools, and more."
A Lyft spokesperson said last month in a statement, "Philadelphia is already facing mounting cost-of-living and mobility challenges, and this proposal would intensify both by increasing the price of everyday rides that many working residents rely on to get where they need to go."