(Editor’s note: the following is part one of a two-part Letter to the Editor, submitted by North Penn School Board Director Jonathan Kassa. The views expressed in this editorial are his own.)
We are recognized nationally and statewide for student achievement, based on our student-centered approach that meets whole-student needs while remaining focused on protecting taxpayer return on investment. We must continue to deliver on a 21st century education that raises expectations for the success and well-being of our students, and continues to support our thriving community. The high bond ratings and accolades our district receives for budgeting, transparency and innovation proves that we optimize taxpayer dollars.
We are North Penn—we lead and don't follow.
Yet there is a clear, logical reason why local taxes always increase. It’s simple: our legislative leadership in Harrisburg doesn’t share our bold stance, and continues to do nothing but literally pass the tax buck.
We all recall the cartoon Peanuts, and Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown to kick only to pull it away at the last second, right? Well, our legislature is Lucy, and fair funding for North Penn is the football. Career state politicians making good salaries with excellent benefits boast during election season about not raising state and sales taxes. However, this is only because local school boards, the elected volunteers that serve for no compensation of any kind, do the heavy lifting to ensure that our students succeed.
My fellow neighbors, we were shortchanged $7.7 million this fiscal year by the leadership that controls Pennsylvania’s legislature.
A few budgets ago, it was $6.4 million. This adds up, year after year. It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation is—our community pays the price when Harrisburg refuses to properly fund public education. That bill gets dumped on the doorsteps of every North Penn taxpayer because our elected officials won’t address inequitable funding. North Penn has a funding gap each year due to Harrisburg’s political cowardice. Your neighbors on school boards across the county take it on the chin by making tough decisions about how to properly fund public education, while party bosses in Harrisburg brag about—and run elections on—their never-tax philosophies.
In what state, in which community, should crumbling infrastructure be acceptable?
Public expectations for high-quality schools will always exist, even as facilities age, operational costs increase and unfunded mandates for safety, special education, charter schools and pensions continue to roll in from Harrisburg and Washington, D.C. This final hurdle is just a fact of life for us—Pennsylvania is one of a few unlucky states that funds its public education so poorly. This isn’t just some school board director complaining; this is what North Penn taxpayers must know in order to demand change in the state’s funding formula for public education. Our community needs to rise above the simplistic, hateful rhetoric that exploits political differences instead of unifying us around the facts needed to address the root cause of our local tax increases:
It is time to elevate community dialog beyond cynical politics by focusing on the cause of our funding shortfalls, not the symptoms. Local property taxes will continue to rise because of Pennsylvania’s antiquated, unfair funding formula. Local tax bills are as bipartisan as it gets—we all pay for the legislature’s inaction. It hasn’t mattered which party is in control of our school board, the structural budget problems we face emanate from our legislative leadership’s failure to actually lead.
While we remain focused on spending within our means as a district, our community needs to advocate for change in Harrisburg. This school board is committed to making the North Penn community’s voice heard and we are working to build coalitions that make this case to our elected officials across the state. Please join us in these efforts to place common sense before politics. Let’s stop trying to kick the proverbial school funding football yet another year. Fair and equitable public school funding is our right as a community.
It’s time to stop relying on Lucy and demand a change in Harrisburg.
Sincerely,
Jonathan Kassa
North Penn School District Board of School Directors
See also:
Editorial: Why The Renovation Of Crawford Stadium Matters
Editorial: North Penn School Board Offers Praise For Full Day Kindergarten Program
Editorial: North Penn School Board Welcomes In The New School Year
NPSD Schools to Participate in International Walk-to-School Day
Drone Technology Education Taking Flight at North Montco
