State budget crisis forces some midstate schools to halt most hiring, cut expenses

(Lancaster) — The state budget crisis isn’t actually fully resolved.

Some school districts across the midstate are still waiting on tens of millions in state dollars.

At the School District of Lancaster, they’re expecting more than $40 million.

But Matt Przywara, its finance chief, says until then, “we have instituted a budget freeze with our school district in order to conserve some money this year, because we don’t know what we’re going to get.”

Governor Tom Wolf signed a budget, but line item vetoed billions in education funding to try to bring Republicans back to negotiate the final pieces.

That hasn’t happened.

Przywara says in Lancaster, the impact is very real.

“Nonessential employees are not being hired. Even essential vacancies like for classroom teachers, we’re just not filling some of those positions right now.”

Przywara fears this year’s crisis may never be resolved, meaning impacts will stretch into next year.

He says the district is already running a bare bones operation.

“We need to save up for any unanticipated deficit for this year, and any deficit this year possibly rolls into the projected deficit for next year at this point.”

Przywara who didn’t blame either side – says the bickering needs to come to an end, so the state budget can be completely resolved.

He says the crisis has forced administrators to take time to find solutions, instead of improving actual classroom education.

The impasse has been directly caused by Governor Tom Wolf and the Republican-controlled Legislature’s failure to reach an agreement.