May 16, 2002 3 min read

Even in the best of times when the state budget is flush with cash, local school districts struggle to pull the numbers together. This year promises to be especially hard as the state is staring down a $1 billion deficit with lawmakers in no hurry to approve a budget. School districts look to Harrisburg for guidance when penciling their own numbers. Too much of the budget process hinges on knowing the magic number: how much of an increase in basic education subsidies can be expected. So when Harrisburg creates delays, schools are forced to move blindly through the process.

This dance of the subsidy increase waltzes across the spring stage each year. Sometimes it is harmonious. Other years, such as this one, the performers are sorely out of step.

Part of the problem is the reluctance of lawmakers to step onto the stage and negotiate a budget in a timely manner. Schools are left guessing as to how much state aid will be sent to the districts.

Those guesses this year cover a large swing. Gov. Schweiker proposes a mere 1 percent more than last year’s state aid. The House is slightly more generous and is suggesting between 2.85 and 4 percent increases, while the Senate is pushing for a substantial 13 percent.

What do the numbers mean? If the governor’s scant increase passes, most local school districts will need to raise property taxes just to keep the status quo. If the Senate plan were to win out, school boards could lower taxes and/or reduce class sizes and add to the curriculum.

Given the tremendous variation, school boards if given the choice should just hold off and wait to draw up a budget. But that isn’t a luxury they can afford as they are required by state law to have a tentative budget in place by the end of this month and a final one adopted by June 30. Unfortunately, the General Assembly (also required to have a budget in place by then) doesn’t feel intense pressure.

Lawmakers aren’t even in session. They are busy politicking in advance of next Tuesday’s primary.

Still they aren’t in any hurry to return to session. They won’t return until June 3.

This means local school districts must operate on best guesses and hunches.

Uniontown Area School District this week passed a nearly $31 million tentative budget that calls for $1 million more in spending than revenue. This could mean a 6.72 mill tax hike, or not.

It’s all guesswork right now, but legislators have an obligation to take the guesswork out of it and come up with some firm numbers before the schools are forced to adopt budgets that reflect tax increases when none are necessary.