Schools work to deal with cuts
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The deep cuts proposed by Gov. Tom Corbett for public school systems have school officials bracing themselves for possible tax hikes, elimination of programs, layoffs of staff and reduction from full-day to half-day kindergarten classes as they try to make up for the $1 billion in cuts to districts across the state.
The proposed budget reduces basic education funding from $5.8 billion to $5.3 billion, a message that came through loud and clear following the governor's budget address on Tuesday. But it was the news that filtered in later that the proposed budget also eliminates millions of dollars in state accountability block grants, educational assistance grants and reimbursements for charter school tuition that shocked public school officials.
The elimination of the grant programs means that some districts will have to consider returning their kindergarten programs to half day as they used accountability grant funds to expand to full day. It also means after-school tutoring programs financed by the educational assistance grants will be eliminated.
"This budget is bad for students. This budget puts the state's budget problems on the backs of students," said Ron Cowell, a former state legislator who is president of the Education Policy and Leadership Council in Harrisburg. "This budget also eliminates all the improvements that have been made in recent years."
Because less wealthy districts rely more on state funding than wealthier districts, the cuts mean the poorest districts are hurt the most.
For example, the Duquesne City School District will lose about $4 million of its $15.5 million annual budget, counting education funding, grants and charter school reimbursement.
Ian Rosenblum, policy secretary for former Gov. Ed Rendell, has assembled what the loss means to each of the state's 500 school districts. According to his analysis, the biggest loss in Allegheny County is Pittsburgh Public Schools at $34.1 million, a figure consistent with the district's own preliminary analysis. That loss amounts to $341 per household, a figure the district would have to save via cuts or raise through taxes.
First Published March 11, 2011 12:00 am
