Tartaglione Says Education Investments Highlight Budget Plan

Harrisburg – June 29, 2016 – State Sen. Christine Tartaglione (D-Philadelphia) said today that increased investments in basic and higher education were critical aspects of the state spending plan that was approved by the Senate today.

The legislation – Senate Bill 1073 – represents a $31.53 billion General Fund budget proposal. The measure passed the Senate 47 to 3. Tartaglione supported the proposal.

The revised budget proposal now returns to the state House for consideration.

Tartaglione’s comments about the passage of the state spending plan follow:

“There are significant fiscal challenges this year and revenues are scarce, so it is important to recognize the new investments in education. The state spending plan includes $250 million more for basic education, special education, Pre-K and Head Start and increases funding for higher education.

“The state budget plan that passed the Senate today stretched dollars to cover increased mandated expenses such as debt service payments, pension costs and corrections. The plan helps maintain human services initiatives and social safety net programs.

“I am pleased that this budget invests more in education and provides additional resources for schools.”

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Senate Hearing Focuses on Budget Impasse’s Impact on Schools

Harrisburg – October 28, 2015 – At the request of state Sen. Vince Hughes (D-Phila.), the Senate Democratic Policy Committee today held a hearing on the devastating impact that the state’s 120-day budget impasse is having on schools across the state.

“While many of the budget dispute points remain unresolved, what is clear is that the consequences of this impasse are far-reaching,” said Sen. Lisa Boscola (D-Northampton), who chairs the committee. “This hearing gives lawmakers a sense of how schools are handling the funding shortfall, and what problems they’ll face if this stalemate continues to drag on.”

Hughes added, “A growing number of schools have been cornered into borrowing money and taking out credit lines just to keep their doors open. Hopefully, this hearing’s focus on this worsening statewide financial crisis will encourage greater urgency, cooperation and compromise in the ongoing budget negotiations.”

During the hearing, state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale testified that at least 27 school districts have taken out loans totaling more than $431 million. He projected that interest payments will total $30 million if the stalemate reaches mid-November.

Those who testified decried how the impasse has harmed students, depleted reserves and how taxpayers will be needlessly saddled with paying the interest on the growing number of loans and credit lines that schools are obtaining to keep their doors open.

Erie Public Schools Superintendent Jay Badams lamented that his district will need to borrow $30 million just to get through January.

“That’s $114,000 in wasted interest money that could have been used for so many badly needed educational expenses,” Badams said.

Dr. Joseph Roy, who serves as superintendent of the Bethlehem Area School District in Northampton County, added that “choices at the state level continue to hammer school districts.” He said the diversion of funds to charter and cyber schools and a “punitive” approach to public education has blown up school expenditures.

Dr. Rula Skezas, who serves as superintendent of the McKeesport Area School District in Allegheny County, noted that even if the district receives its proposed funding it would still fall short of what it received during the 2011 school year. She said McKeesport has taken out a $5 million line of credit to make it to December. She said the district has already eliminated 110 staff positions to try and make ends meet.

Hughes, who serves as Democratic chair of the Appropriations Committee, said public, charter and private schools are already reeling from years of being underfunded. He noted that the Philadelphia School District has already borrowed $275 million during the impasse. Fran Burns, who serves as chief operating officer for the School District of Philadelphia, testified that the district has struggled to contend with a “structural deficit.”

Lamenting the impact on local working families who fund schools through property taxes, Boscola pointed toward an educational survey conducted earlier this year showing that nearly 75 percent of districts were planning to impose property tax hikes, 30 percent were planning on making additional program cuts, and 41 percent were making more staff cuts. She said the state has withheld approximately $3 billion in school funds since the budget impasse began in July.

Joining Boscola and Hughes at the Capitol committee hearing were Senators John Blake (D-Lackawanna), Jim Brewster (D-Allegheny), Andrew Dinniman (D-Montgomery), Christine Tartaglione (D-Phila.) and Sean Wiley (D-Erie),

Those testifying included:

  • The Honorable Eugene DePasquale
    Pennsylvania Auditor General
  • Fran Burns
    Chief Operating Officer, School District of Philadelphia
  • Joseph Gorham
    Superintendent of Schools, Carbondale Area School District
  • Dr. Joseph Roy
    Superintendent of Schools, Bethlehem Area School District
  • Dr. Jay D. Badams
    Superintendent, Erie Public Schools
  • Dr. Rula S. Skezas
    Superintendent, McKeesport Area School District
  • Marjorie Neff
    Chair, School Reform Commission
  • Anthony Pirrello
    CEO, Montessori Regional Charter School of Erie, and Vice President of Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools
  • Matt Przywara
    Member, PASBO
    Chief Financial and Operations Officer, School District of Lancaster
  • Bill LaCoff
    President, Pennsylvania School Boards Association
  • Susan Gobreski
    Education Voters of Pennsylvania
  • Dr. Pearl English
    School Nurse, School District of Philadelphia

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Tartaglione: Seniors, Students Pay the Price for Politics

HARRISBURG, June 29, 2012 –   Sen. Christine M. Tartaglione today released the following statement on the final 2012-13 budget:

“I commend the thousands of Pennsylvanians who took the time to come to Harrisburg over the past five months for their persistence and determination in moving this budget from where it started in February to what was passed today.

I also want to thank some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle for recognizing the governor’s proposal for what it was and understanding its potential impact on our most vulnerable citizens.

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Despite the efforts of citizens and the understanding of my colleagues, this budget fails the test put forth a half century ago by the writer Pearl S. Buck who said we ‘must make it right and possible for old people not to fear the young or be deserted by them, for the test of a civilization is the way that it cares for its helpless members. 

This budget, along with changes in the welfare code, allows our seniors to fear being deserted by the government they supported throughout their lives.

This budget takes its pain and payment from working families, minimum-wage workers, the nameless, the frail and the seniors who are struggling to live at home.

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This budget makes its promises and payments to the powerful, the privileged and the faceless corporations that live in mailboxes in Wilmington, Delaware.

Even as we claim to have no more money to spend, we are paying for those mailboxes in Delaware.

Our students are paying.  Our homeowners are paying.  Our college graduates are paying.

This budget lets the previous generation, and the next generation, pay the price for the politics of this generation.”