This reprint of the Philadelphia Home Rule Charter includes Article XII, titled "Public Education," which contains provisions pertaining to the administration, financing and management of the City's public school system. Article XII was drafted by the Educational Home Rule Charter Commission convened pursuant to the Act of August 9, 1963, P.L. 643, by which the General Assembly eliminated a previous statutory restriction forbidding a Home Rule Charter from containing provisions regulating public schools. The Act of August 9, 1963 also permitted any city of the first class to add to an existing Home Rule Charter sections pertaining to the operation of public schools. The "Proposed Supplement to the Home Rule Charter" drafted by the Educational Home Rule Charter Commission was approved by the electors on May 18, 1965, thereby creating a Home Rule School District for the City of Philadelphia. On May 16, 1967, the electors approved an amendment to Section 12-306 of the Home Rule Charter Educational Supplement, relating to indebtedness, which raised the ceiling on the aggregate indebtedness permitted to be incurred from the original rate of 2% to a new limit of 5% of the assessed value of the taxable property within the District. The Amendment also prohibited the aggregate indebtedness of the District from exceeding 15% of the last valuation of property taxable for school purposes in the District, up from the original figure of 5%. On November 2, 1999, the electors approved amendments to Sections 12-201, 12-202, 12-203, 12-204, 12-206, 12-207, 12-209 and 12-503, relating to the Board of Education and the Educational Nominating Panel.

This reprint incorporates an amendment to Section 8-200 of the Home Rule Charter, relating to contracts, which raised the minimum contract that must be awarded through competitive bidding from $2,000 to $10,000 and provided for a periodic adjustment every five years. The amendment was approved by the electors on November 5, 1991. This reprint also incorporates an amendment to Section 3-100 and the addition of Sections 3-805 and 4-900 to the Home Rule Charter approved by the electors on November 5, 2002. These changes established the Philadelphia Tax Reform Commission and its Advisory Committee, provided for their composition, and set forth the Commission's powers and duties.

LAW DEPARTMENT