That plan, several sources familiar with the talks said but asked not to be identified in order to discuss details, would be a “budget-plus” package that would also address reforms to the state’s two major public pensions plans, liquor privatization and significant school property tax relief.
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An additional 10 districts have borrowed another $85 million since DePasquale’s first report on the impact of the stalemate last month.
“I understand all of the parties negotiating this budget are probably angry and frustrated, but somehow they have to get this done”, Mr. DePasquale said.
“It’s bad now, but we go from bad to borderline disastrous if something isn’t done by Thanksgiving”, said DePasquale.
Wednesday’s vote in the Senate came on the 120th day of a partisan budget battle between the first-term Democratic governor and the Legislature’s huge Republican majorities.
The state Department of Education has not made its September or October Basic Education Subsidy payment to districts and Mr. DePasquale said it is becoming clear the November payments will not be made either.
Knowing that the Senate GOP was planning on bringing up an override vote on Gov. Tom Wolf’s veto of an billion stopgap budget on Wednesday, Sen.
He added that borrowing costs for schools and intermediate units “could reach” $14 million.
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Lackawanna County’s Carbondale Area School District Superintendent Joseph Gorham said he chooses the latter because otherwise schools will back in this same position in a few months.
