The lack of a state budget has caused the Schuylkill Haven Area School District to delay repairs, freeze hiring and deplete fund reserves.
“That is not where any district wants to be, certainly not one trying to provide stable, high quality education to our children. This is not just a Schuylkill Haven or even Schuylkill County problem. It's a statewide problem,” Superintendent Shawn Fitzpatrick said Tuesday.
In the Scranton School District in Lackawanna County, after-school tutoring and professional development are on hold while the budget impasse continues.
Fitzpatrick joined representatives from education groups statewide during a virtual press conference, highlighting the impact of the state being without a budget for more than 100 days.
“Across Pennsylvania, superintendents and school boards are walking the same financial tightrope, trying to keep classrooms open, teachers paid and essential services intact, while the state is yet to fulfill its fiscal responsibility,” Fitzpatrick said.
Stalemate between House, Senate
During a visit to Lackawanna County last week, Gov. Josh Shapiro lashed out at senators for failing to negotiate a final spending plan.
The stalemate between the Democratic-controlled House and the Republican-controlled Senate has kept billions of dollars from going to schools. They’ve missed out on $3.7 billion in expected state payments in July, August and September, according to the Pennsylvania State Education Association.
“That uncertainty has already forced us into a discretionary spending freeze. Every nonessential line item, professional development, certain maintenance projects, non-emergency purchases all have been paused,” Fitzpatrick said. “Repairs that should have been addressed months ago remain unfinished, and we've delayed replacing some teachers lost to other school districts to preserve what funds we have.”
Districts in a 'terrible' position
The Scranton School District is one of two districts statewide on a calendar-year fiscal budget. Borrowing money through a tax anticipation note would require the district to repay it by the end of December, the end of the fiscal year. That’s a risk the district can’t take, Superintendent Erin Keating told WVIA News on Tuesday.

The district’s fund balance, listed as $32 million in the proposed 2026 preliminary budget, is quickly being depleted. Scranton spends about $9.5 million a month in salaries and benefits. The spending freeze has put a pause on tutoring, most after-school programs and professional development.
“We're really in a terrible position right now,” Keating said. “We're hurting kids, and we're hurting teachers. We're not able to give kids all of the opportunities they would normally have … that is the worst decision that as a superintendent I can make, to take away something that gives a student an opportunity to do better, to academically achieve more.”
Old Forge, also in Lackawanna County, secured a tax anticipation note for $1.5 million. The district must pay interest on the borrowed money, Superintendent Christopher Gatto said.
The district borrowed the money to pay salary and benefits and for “keeping the lights on.” Many vendors will see a delay in payment. If the impasse continues through the end of the year, harder decisions will need to be made, Gatto said.
“It's doing nothing but hurting the most vulnerable populations in the state,” Gatto said.