The District's chief financial officer told the D.C. Council Friday that he cannot certify the proposed teachers' contract as fiscally sound because the city has yet to demonstrate that there is enough money to pay for it.
Gandhi told the council that city officials face a $28 million gap in funding the contract during the current fiscal year and a $135.6 shortfall through 2013. In recent days, he said, school officials have made progress, and recommended savings and other measures that would partially close the gap. But it still leaves the contract under-funded by $10.7 million, he said.
Gandhi reiterated Friday that D.C. school officials cannot use the $21 million in money available from a group of four private foundations because it comes with conditions that are unacceptable, including the right to reconsider their commitment in the case of a leadership change in the schools system.
"At this time, we cannot certify the use of private foundation funds to support salary and benefits under the tentative agreement," Gandhi said in his prepared testimony.
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