Politics & Government

H-H Schools Stand to Gain More State Funding

The final state budget, as approved by the House of Representatives Thursday, calls for $1.2 million in additional state contributions.

A bipartisan majority has supported a final state budget that ups school district funding by nearly 15 percent for . 

In all, the district will receive $1.2 million more state funding than it received last year under a $27.66 billion spending plan that the Legislature passed on Thursday, according to a press release distributed by State Rep. Todd Stephens' (R-151) office. 

“This budget continues our efforts to get our fiscal house in order by prioritizing spending and holding the line on taxes,” Stephens said in the release. 

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Bob Reichert, the district's director of business affairs, said the 14.61 percent increase over last year's state funding level "exceeds to some degree" what the district had factored into its recently adopted 2012-2013 budget, which calls for a 1.67 tax boost.

However, Reichert said a portion of the $1.2 million will help cover anticipated increases in pension and social security revenue. In addition, he said that the district had hoped that the additional funding for the Accountability Block Grant would be restored. Those funds would enable the district to continue to cover existing programs and staff from the previous year, he said.  

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As such, Reichert said the $1.2 million boost was not adequate to eliminate the $986,791 budget gap that warranted the tax hike. 

"As far as the 'extra' money is concerned, although how those funds will be allocated has yet to be determined, I can assure you that all dollars will be used to either support high quality educational and operational programming or to offset future tax increases," Reichert said.

In addition to upping local school district funding, the budget passed by the legislature also adds $246 million more to higher education than Gov. Tom Corbett proposed. Temple University has already acknowledged they will not increase tuition this year due to the funding increase, according to the release.

The budget also includes $17.8 million to reduce the waiting list for services for 700 special education graduates and 430 individuals with intellectual disabilities with elderly caregivers. In addition, the legislature restored $84 million to the governor’s proposed 20 percent cut to county human services programs.

In addition, the spending plan preserves funding for several environmental programs including $38 million for the Keystone Recreation, Parks and Conservation Fund, $20 million for Agricultural Conservation Easement Purchase (ACEP), and $6 million for the Alternative Fuels Incentive Grant Fund. 


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