HARRISBURG – โคPennsylvaniaโ schools will receive $665โค million in new funding after โขa months-long โstate budget impasse was resolved, averting โpotentialโข school closures and program cuts. The funding agreement, โreached after significant delays, provides critical financial relief โคtoโ districts across the state.
The budget standoff โhad placed significant strain on โคseveral school districts, including William Penn School โDistrict in Delaware county โand Morrisville School District in โBucks โขCounty. Both districts had warned of possible closures if a resolution wasn’tโข reached before the new year.
“This impasse showed us just how fragile our planning can be without timely state support,” said Ericโค Becoats, William Penn’s superintendent, in a statement. “We cannot operate in uncertainty. our educators, students, and โfamilies โneed stability to thrive.”
William Penn School Board President Monique Boykins called the budget a “welcome relief” but added, “itโค is unfair to put this burden on districts.” William Penn was โคthe lead plaintiff in aโฃ recent education-funding lawsuit and relies heavily on state funding.
Morrisville Superintendent Andrew Doster had set a deadline of January 30 for potential schoolโค closures if a budget deal hadn’t materialized before winter break. Heโฃ expressed “a huge sense of relief”โ at the agreement,โ anticipating state โฃpayments to โbegin flowing in January. โค
To โขmanage the financial uncertainty, Doster had delayedโค payments to charter schools and vendors,โ scrutinizing even essential purchases โlike classroom supplies, copy paper, โขand winter โsalt. The district โalso postponed โfilling classroom vacancies, relying on long-term substitutes instead of full-time hires with benefits.
While theโฃ new funding alleviates immediate concerns,โข Doster indicated the โฃdistrict will continue to โprioritize essential positions only and anticipates the impact โขof the impasse will influence future budget planning. “I have to have this โฃin the back of my mind as we work onโ next year’sโฃ budget. We โขcannot โคbe at the mercy of the โฃstate and jeopardize our ability to keep students in classrooms,” he said.
Doster warnedโ that the situation could lead โคto larger class sizes, fewer support staff, and reduced programming. “There’s a net outcome to all this,” he stated.