Months of inaction on the state budget resolution hurt our communities. The bipartisan state budget that was finally passed Nov. 12 fulfilled a moral duty to fund all schools fairly, but the delay before its passage failed our children.

Power Interfaith Lancaster County had followed the budget process since Gov. Josh Shapiro unveiled his proposed budget in early February, paying close attention to the needs of students in our public schools.

Gov. Shapiro first proposed increases in basic education and special education funds, a second installment of the adequacy and tax equity payments to previously underfunded schools, and a cap on cyber charter school tuition that would have saved school districts millions of dollars.

Then came the arguments and the impasse. The June 30 deadline came and went without a budget deal. For four months, leaders in Pennsylvania’s Democratic-led House and Republican-led Senate were unable to reach a consensus until, finally, a compromise was reached Nov. 12. The nearly $50.1 billion budget included the second adequacy payment to underfunded schools and some cyber charter funding changes (but not a tuition cap) that will benefit every school district in Pennsylvania.

We are grateful for the budget resolution, and we congratulate Gov. Shapiro and the Legislature for this bipartisan budget. Those responsible for the budget resolution demonstrated their commitment to provide high-quality education for all students — and fulfilled their moral and constitutional obligation to do so. However, the delay in finalizing the budget negatively impacted the lives of many children, parents, teachers and community members in the commonwealth.

A budget delay isn’t simply delayed payments; it’s people not having what they need. Working parents, who may also be struggling financially, need stable child care. They shouldn’t have to decide between working and getting paid or staying home and losing a day’s wages. Their children also deserve access to early learning, which has been proven to provide long-term academic and life success.

Isabel Castillo, director of YWCA Lancaster’s Center for Racial & Gender Equity, explained how the budget impasse affected child care services: “Child care is not a luxury; it is the foundation that allows parents to work and provide for their families. Because of the impasse, early learning providers have taken on $20 million in loans, and more than 4,000 children have lost access to Pre-K and Head Start.”

The delayed budget also affected supplemental services that many people rely on.

According to Lisette Rivera, site coordinator for the School District of Lancaster’s Families in Transition program, the lack of funds that resulted “forced us to pick and choose who received support and who didn’t. … After-school academic support for students was canceled, as were field trips. Basic hygiene items, which we provide to families who request them, have become scarce and we didn’t have the ability to restock. … The community partnerships that we have that help by donating items to our program, they too are feeling the impact of all of this.”

Lack of funds due to the budget impasse disproportionately affected the most vulnerable Pennsylvanians.

Kim McDevitt, executive director of Mental Health America, reported that “these delays took a financial toll on a system that is already lacking resources. In addition, it has taken an emotional toll on individuals already struggling with mental health challenges, as well as on the leaders and staff working tirelessly to support them.” She added that when funding is delayed or uncertain, organizations that support struggling people must reduce capacity, pause initiatives or rely on reserves.

Because of the impasse’s many negative impacts, we are grateful that a budget was passed. We are especially grateful that our legislators showed their willingness to fairly fund all schools, including those in lower-income districts. The additional funds from the second adequacy payments will help schools to provide the educational resources and opportunities our children need to become successful members of their communities.

We thank the Lancaster County legislators who voted for this bipartisan budget. We encourage them, and all county representatives, to consider how they can begin to make compromises early enough in the budget process so that county agencies and schools do not have to take out loans, cancel needed programs or make difficult choices about who gets services during a state budget stalemate.

Brenda Morales is a retired educator who worked for more than 20 years in the School District of Lancaster. She is a co-coordinator of the Education Justice Team of Power Interfaith Lancaster County.

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