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More than half of the Pennsylvania school districts that responded to a recent survey expect to scale back their offerings next year in response to having less money to spend.
The third annual survey [PDF] conducted by the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators was released this week in Harrisburg.
281 of the commonwealth's 500 school districts responded to the survey. More than 20% of the participating school districts said they had spent more than half of the uncommitted funds in their savings accounts in the last two years to cover costs. Many think that has to stop.
"The contention is out there that it's a rainy day and we need to use our rainy day fund. I would contend that it's a rainy decade and for most school districts, we have about three days' worth of rainy day fund to get through that decade. What do we do when it's over?" asked Eric Eshbach, superintendent of the Upper Adams School District in Adams County.
Of those responding, 61% are planning to reduce class sizes, 58% are offering fewer elective classes, and 19% are reducing or cutting full-day kindergarten.
"The survey results document the continued fiscal bludgeoning of K-12 education," said Jay Himes, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials. "Every school across the state, regardless of size or demographics, is in round two of historic reductions in instructional programs and personnel."
Himes said school districts are suffering for a number of reasons: the economy has hampered local revenue sources, state and federal funding is down, and state-mandated pension costs are rising.
