Budget impasse continues to impact Central Greene schools
Superintendent of Schools Brian T. Uplinger said the Central Greene School District (CGSD) is one of the “fortunate” ones in the state; the eight-month budget impasse hasn’t hampered the effectiveness of the CGSD, yet, said Uplinger.
“Central Greene is one of the few districts in the state that has been able to weather the storm, so to speak,” Uplinger said. “We have a very stable fund balance; we haven’t had to borrow any money yet. But it has had an impact on where we will be going in the future.”
The lack of funding from the state isn’t the only thing that’s hindering school districts, Uplinger said, but not knowing the state’s budget and the allotted money each district will get puts the districts in a bind.
“We have to start planning our budget in October, November, December, trying to get an idea at what we’re looking at for the next school year,” Uplinger said. “It’s really difficult not knowing what’s coming in for that given school year. If we don’t have a passed budget for the current school year, we even have more of a difficult time to budget for the upcoming year.”
Uplinger said that is when school districts begin to ask themselves questions about the number of teachers, administrators, support staff and programs, among other areas.
“In that sense, we’re certainly shortchanging the students,” Uplinger said. “We don’t want to make hasty decisions, but not knowing how much money is coming, we have to make some kind of a decision.”
Uplinger said the CGSD, along with every other school district, must have its budget passed prior to the deadline on June 30.
“I just don’t know why the government doesn’t have to have their [budget] done,” Uplinger said. “I mean, it certainly is in the Constitution and it’s in the law that they have to, but I guess we’re seeing that they really don’t have to follow that.”
Democratic state Rep. Pam Snyder of the 50th Legislative District of Pennsylvania said this budget impasse is “not a good way to conduct government.” She agrees with Uplinger that the state should pass a budget before its June 30 deadline.
“Under the law, they’re able to prolong it like this year, but if you don’t have it passed by then, shame on you. I am a firm believer that this budget should have been done many months ago,” Snyder said.
Uplinger said Gov. Tom Wolf’s line-item veto, which was passed around Christmas, allowed the state to provide funding to local school districts for the first six months of 2016.
The CGSD received $6 million from the state, according to Uplinger, which should last until May or June. He said they had to rely on the taxes from the people in the district and the money in the school district’s fund balance.
Uplinger said Greene County is “unique” because they have been able to save and put money away for situations like this, which is a luxury not all school districts have. While no school districts have had to close their doors, Uplinger said some districts could be facing severe problems in the future if the budget isn’t resolved soon.
“There are other districts that have negative fund balances and have certainly had to go and borrow from banks, and they’ll have to pay interest on that loan, so they’re still going to be behind when the state money does come in,” Uplinger said. “They’ll be even more behind, whereas now they’re just filling gaps, meeting payroll and the necessities of the students. There have been some districts that have said they’re going to shut down because they’re not going to make it.”
Snyder visited one of the school districts in the 50th district on Feb. 24 and spoke with the superintendent about the current financial state of the school.
“The superintendent told me that probably by the end of March they’re going to have to start borrowing money again to get to the end of the year,” Snyder said. “I think there are schools that are talking about closing if there’s not an agreement and the money isn’t there.”
Wolf said in his last budget address on Feb. 9 that many school districts have increased taxes above what they’re supposed to since “Harrisburg didn’t produce a responsible budget.” Wolf said at least 175 more school districts are considering similar tax increases.
Uplinger has been working in public education for 18 years and is in his third year as a superintendent.
“Certainly this is something I’ve never witnessed in public education; I haven’t seen one this long go on,” Uplinger said.
The people most negatively affected by the budget impasse are the students, according to Uplinger.
“When we can’t provide what we’re supposed to provide, it really angers me to the core,” Uplinger said. “We’re here to be there for the students, and we can’t provide our mission or we can’t provide our vision to the children and help them become more successful when they leave us as seniors. It’s very disheartening.”
The superintendents in all 25 school districts in Fayette, Washington and Greene counties meet monthly in the Intermediate Unit (IU), a step of organization above the school district but below the Pennsylvania Department of Education.
At Tuesday’s meeting, Uplinger said they discussed when they believe the budget impasse could end, which they concluded is unlikely to be in April or even May.
In his address, Wolf said the budget impasse is not about Republicans versus Democrats, but rather a looming budget deficit of $2 billion.
“This deficit isn’t just a cloud hanging over Pennsylvania’s long-term future. It is a time bomb, ticking away, right now, even as I speak,” Wolf said in the address. “If it explodes – if the people in this chamber allow it to explode – then Pennsylvania will experience a fiscal catastrophe the likes of which we have never seen.”
Snyder said the state government’s lack of bipartisanship is one of the causes for the budget impasse.
“I have several thoughts on that, but I think it is about both sides digging in their heels and not being able to compromise and come together on an agreement,” Snyder said. “In my mind, that’s ridiculous.”
Uplinger said the primary elections are also having an affect on the nearly eight-month late budget.
“There are primary elections in the Senate. No one wants to raise taxes before being elected,” Uplinger said. “So, there’s a lot of politics obviously, or we wouldn’t be in this condition that we are. There’s a lot of politicking going on, just so they can retain their seats. Things of that nature are very disheartening because they’re not thinking of the impact that this impasse is truly having.”
Snyder said the budget impasse is something that is hurting Pennsylvania students, people and government.
“Well it does set a very bad tone for the future of the commonwealth because there is no way that we should be sitting here at the end of February talking about a budget that expired June 30 of the prior year,” Snyder said. “There’s no reason for it; there should have been an agreement a long time ago and this should be behind us. I don’t even know what else to say about that.”