Smart Talk: Budget stalemate impact on schools?

What to look for on Smart Talk Tuesday, September 1, 2015:

It’s not a surprise that the longer the state budget stalemate went on, the more pain there would be and eventually all the agencies, organizations, and individuals that rely on state funding would begin to feel the pinch.

Pennsylvania has been without a new fiscal year budget for two months now.  Closed-door negotiations between Gov. Tom Wolf and Republican legislative leaders, who hold majorities in both the House and Senate are reportedly scheduled this week.  But in the meantime, those waiting on money from the state are anxious.

At first, it was social service agencies that had to deal with no money coming in.  Many have had to borrow to stay afloat.

But now, it’s the state’s 500 school districts that are facing uncertainty after missing a scheduled $1 billion scheduled payment.

This comes just as classes begin for the new school year and it has those in the education community concerned about the near future.

The level of funding for K-12 education is actually one of the issues that has held up an agreement.

On Tuesday’s Smart Talk, we’ll address what impact the budget impasse is having on schools and students and discuss several other education-related topics with John Callahan, Sr. Director of Government Affairs for the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and Patrick Dowd, Executive Director of Allies for Children.