Jul 19, 2015 By State Rep. Tim Mahoney 3 min read

When it comes to the financial problems facing local school districts, I hate to say, “I told you so.” But I told you so.

Four years after my 2011 study that showed Fayette County school districts could save about $20 million – and more importantly, save teaching jobs – through administrative consolidation, we’re seeing the scary impacts I tried to head off.

Connellsville Area School District furloughed a mind-blowing 40 teachers in May. Count me among the many who believe this cannot be good for education.

Frazier School District just voted to raise property taxes. Although the hike is minimal, amounting to about an extra $100 on a $100,000 home, believe me when I say that without fundamental structural change, Frazier’s tax hike won’t be its last. And you can bet your own house they won’t be the only local school district hiking its millage rate now and in years to come.

I’ve taken my campaign for administrative consolidation statewide, calling for a broader study to examine cost savings across the commonwealth if we switched to the countywide school systems used in Maryland, Virginia and other states. The study would also look at other options to save money.

I’ve also introduced a bill (H.B. 840) to make countywide school district administrations the norm in Pennsylvania. We have to start somewhere, and if my bill at least gets a serious discussion under way, it will have been worthwhile.

Admittedly, given the intricacies of the legislative process and the need for public vetting, both of these efforts are long-term projects.

In the short term, as the Republican-controlled legislature and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf continue to negotiate their way through their budget stalemate, it’s worth noting that when it comes to education funding, Wolf’s plan offered a much better deal for our school districts.

Attempting to restore a $1 billion funding shortfall that remains a legacy of the Corbett years, Wolf wanted to give Connellsville Area an additional $1.6 million in basic education funding and Frazier an added $180,000. In total, Wolf’s plan also would have provided an extra $4.98 million to Fayette County schools and an additional $1.96 million to Somerset County schools – far more than the Republican alternative.

With the type of increases sought by Wolf, one thing’s certain: the number of teacher layoffs wouldn’t be as high, nor the millage rate hikes as steep.

Inadequate funding for our schools is one of the big reasons I joined other Democrats in voting against the Republican budget bill. As negotiations move forward, we need a budget that seriously addresses the severe underfunding inherited from the Corbett years, while also providing substantive tax relief to our middle-class and senior citizen homeowners.

State Rep. Timothy S. Mahoney, D-South Union Twp., represents the 51st Legislative District, which includes parts of Fayette and Somerset counties.