State senator feeling hopeful as Morrisville School District face shutdown
MORRISVILLE, Pa. (WPVI) -- The Morrisville School District is facing a financial crisis that could force the closure of its public schools by the end of January if Pennsylvania lawmakers fail to pass a long-overdue state budget.
At a joint meeting Tuesday night between the Morrisville School Board and Borough Council, officials discussed the district's dire financial outlook. The meeting had been scheduled prior to the district's recent announcement that it may have to shut down schools due to a lack of funding.
"It's a shame for the students first and foremost," said Morrisville Mayor Gary Wallace. "And even the chaos that it will cause inside of a town."
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With no state budget passed in Harrisburg - now 128 days overdue - students could soon be out of classrooms, and there is no clear alternative plan.
"Unfortunately for the students, they wouldn't be in school," said School Board President Damon Miller. "We are working as hard as we can to keep our buildings open for our students."
Virtual learning is being considered, but officials say the costs are uncertain and the district's financial situation is already strained. Morrisville is operating with a negative fund balance nearing $2 million and has relied on local taxpayers to keep schools open for the first half of the academic year.
State Sen. Steve Santarsiero, who represents the area, said Morrisville is underfunded by about $3 million annually.
"I'm hopeful that we will get a budget done by Thanksgiving," Santarsiero said. "Obviously, if that happens, then Morrisville will not have to take this dramatic step."
Governor Josh Shapiro, in an interview with Action News, said he is urging lawmakers to return to work and finalize a deal.
"Look, it's unacceptable. That's why I've been calling on lawmakers to come back to work and do their jobs," Shapiro said.
He added that he met with legislative leaders multiple times last week and believes progress is being made.
"I think we made really good progress," Shapiro said. "And we are working hard together, and it is my expectation that this is going to come to a conclusion soon."
Morrisville receives more than half of its operating budget from the state and has been stretching resources for months. Miller described the situation as "unprecedented."
The district's superintendent said the ongoing federal government shutdown is also impacting funding. Local leaders and families are now calling for bipartisan cooperation at both the state and federal levels. One school board director called on the community to reach out to lawmakers.
"If an entire town says the same thing, then maybe we can get them to listen," said School Board Director Stephanie Schmidt.
Any potential closure would be temporary and not occur until the end of January. However, district officials say preparations to wind down operations would need to begin soon. If the shutdown happens, more than 100 staff members would be furloughed and nearly 900 students would be out of school.
