EASTON, Pa. — To make ends meet, Easton Area School District will withhold part of its payments to charter schools until state funding is restored.
On Tuesday, the district School Board approved a resolution letting the district hold back 30% of each charter school’s payments until the state budget impasse is resolved.
EASD is among many Lehigh Valley districts to pass such a resolution, raising concerns related to overstretched budgets and an uncertainty about when education funding will be approved and resumed.Lehigh Valley school boards
Pennsylvania’s budget, which was due in July, is more than 120 days late, putting many schools in financial peril.
According to the EASD resolution, about 30% of its annual revenue is derived from the state.
The document also says, “the Board calls upon the General Assembly to take immediate action to end the budget impasse and enact a fair and adequate public education funding system that treats both district and charter schools equitably.”
EASD is among many Lehigh Valley districts to pass such a resolution, raising concerns related to overstretched budgets and an uncertainty about when education funding will be approved and resumed.
'Sharing the burden'
Superintendent Tracy Piazza credited BASD Superintendent Jack Silva for spearheading such initiatives.
“As district superintendents, we've talked about it and really applaud him for being a leader," Piazza said.
"In that it is integral because we are not receiving any funding at this point, but we continue to pay all of our constituent groups, particularly cybers and charters, at their full rate.
“And so while they're made whole, we are doing without the funds that we do have, which could at least sit into a bank account and collect interest to allow us to extend our funds further into the years.”
"Other educational organizations that are funded differently should feel the same pain.”Easton Area School Board member Michael Simonetta
Piazza said the move was not intended as a punishment to charter and cyber academies, but rather “sharing the burden of financial woes that are caused by the state and federal government.”
She said a notification was to be sent to the affected institutions Wednesday, Oct. 29, to inform them they will get a reduced payment for November.
Board member Michael Simonetta said he was OK with the approved rate, but would have preferred to see a stronger response from EASD.
“Given the status of the state budget and the public school districts not getting their funds, I would have liked to see a higher rate” withheld, Simonetta said.
“Parkland just passed a resolution stopping all payments in charter schools, and what's Easton going to do? Thirty percent.
"All right, you know, it's something, but we're not getting the money that we need to keep our programs going. Other educational organizations that are funded differently should feel the same pain.”
