Lansdowne, PA – May 31, 2024
Dear WPSD families and friends,
As we reach the end of the school year and continue planning for the next, I want to share with you an update regarding the 2024-2025 state and district budget process. Here are some key facts:
- On February 7, 2023, the Commonwealth Supreme Court ruled that Pennsylvania’s school funding system is unconstitutional and must be reformed. The William Penn School District was one of the lead plaintiffs in this case.
- The Basic Education Funding Commission proposed a solution to remedy this that was approved on January 10, 2024. This came about after a period of research and investigation and a series of meetings and hearings around the state.
- Governor Josh Shapiro proposed a state budget on February 6, 2024 that would address the inequities and unfairness of school district funding of previous budgets. If passed, the William Penn School District would receive an additional $8.5M.
- The Pennsylvania House and Senate will reconvene on June 3, and the preliminary information that we are receiving is that there will not be a finalized budget by June 30th. Not all legislators agree with Gov. Shapiro’s proposal, and there will be much debate, discussion, and possibly compromise. This means that WPSD may not receive the $8.5M to address inequities and fairness.
Where does that leave us? If we do not have a budget from the state by June 30th, this negatively affects our planning for the 2024-2025 school year. We do not know how much money we will receive or when that will be decided. As a result, we are planning various scenarios which may include raising property taxes by at least 3% and reducing the number of staff. We do not want to do this, but we are operating in the dark and uncertain of what lies ahead as we wait for the legislature to approve a budget.
Please review this flier and share it with family, friends, and neighbors. It outlines the situation and includes some facts regarding the 2024-2025 budget process. We ask you to reach out to our elected officials and advocate for Governor Shapiro’s budget to be passed – fully funded and on time. The children of WPSD and in districts throughout the state deserve no less than that. We have been shortchanged for too long, and we should not be short changed again.
You are also invited to attend our two upcoming Budget Committee meetings. They will take place via Zoom at 6:30 p.m. You will be able to find the Zoom links below and the agenda here before the meetings.
Thursday, June 13
Thursday, June 20
Your voice matters. Our collective voice matters. Thank you for your advocacy and support.
Sincerely,
