Bellefonte Area Education Association

Unprecedented state budget cuts put more school districts in financial distress
The Corbett Administration finally agreed to provide the financially-strapped Chester Upland School District with the funds it needs to keep its doors open, but the governor's unprecedented, draconian state funding cuts are wreaking havoc in school districts across the state.

President Obama invites Chester Upland teacher to attend State of the Union address
Sara C. Ferguson, a teacher from the Chester Upland School District said she is honored to accept President Barack Obama’s invitation to be the president’s distinguished guest for the State of the Union address.

Chester Upland Teachers, support staff thank legislators for working to secure funding to keep district schools open
Leaders of the school employee unions representing teachers and support staff in the Chester Upland School District released a January 23 statement thanking state legislators who worked to secure an agreement with Gov. Tom Corbett to avert the district’s looming financial crisis.

Committee Weekend Cancelled
PSEA committee meetings scheduled for this weekend, January 20-21, 2012, in PSEA Headquarters and nearby hotels have been cancelled due to inclement weather.

Band-Aid keeps Chester Upland afloat for two weeks, state budget cuts put it on the brink
A $3.2 million state funding advance will keep Chester Upland on life support for two weeks, but will not stave off a full-blown catastrophe, which could close the schoolhouse doors to 3,600 students.

Support the PSEA-Chester Upland Crisis Fund
The Chester Upland School District in Delaware County, Pennsylvania is in the midst of extreme economic crisis. On January 17, a federal judge approved a plan for the state to advance $3.2 million in state allocations to the district that it had been scheduled to get later in the year. The amount should be enough to allow the district to make payroll and meet expenses for a few more weeks. 

PSEA President says school funding crisis is getting worse
As school districts struggle to compile their FY 2012-2013 budgets, the school funding crisis caused by Gov. Tom Corbett’s unprecedented $860 million in public school funding cuts is getting worse and forcing districts to cut more essential programs that help students succeed.

Chester Upland teachers, ESPs pledge to work for delayed pay during school district's financial crisis
Delaware County's Chester Upland School District is on the verge of financial collapse. In June, its state funding was cut by $8.4 million, a 14 percent reduction in state aid. By December, the school distirct was virtually out of money, unable to meet its payroll and pay its bills. District officials asked the governor for an advance on the district's subsidy payments, but his education secretary refused.

Advocacy makes a difference on vouchers and charter school expansion
On December 14, the state House of Representatives abandoned efforts to pass Gov. Corbett's tuition voucher plan, hearing the concerns of two-thirds of Pennsylvanians who oppose this bad policy. Shortly after, state representatives voted down a charter expansion bill by a vote of 105-90.

Video: Kids, Cuts, and Consequences
Across Pennsylvania, PSEA members are talking about the consequences Gov. Tom Corbett’s unprecedented school funding cuts are having on the students they teach. Through the Kids, Cuts, and Consequences project, PSEA members are sharing their stories and describing the impact of these devastating cuts