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Budget Stalemate Taking A Toll On Local School Districts

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Over lunch on Friday at Angelo's, Republican PA Sen. Camera Bartolotta gathered most of the superintendents from Washington County, and it was clear she'd get an earful.

"We've had to borrow $4.5 million so far just to stay open," Charleroi Superintendent Ed Zelich told KDKA political editor Jon Delano.

Zelich says the failure of the legislature to reach agreement with the governor hits local taxpayers.

"We owe about $50,000 in interest so far, and that's about a millage rate increase alone in our district," added Zelich.

Charleroi is hardly alone, says state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale.

As of year-end, says DePasquale, "School districts had borrowed about one billion dollars with about $40 million to $50 million in interest."

To keep their doors open, school districts have cut programs -- and are robbing from other funds to keep afloat like a high school renovation fund.

"Yes, we'll have to take money out of there just to make payroll," says Scott Martin, superintendent of the Bentworth School District. "We'll have to take money from that fund, which is borrowed money, to make payroll."

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Others will shut down their buildings for all summer programs unless Harrisburg cuts a deal.

"We will," says Jill Jacoby, superintendent of the Ft. Cherry School District. "We will completely shut down if we do not have the funding available."

And it's still unclear whether every district can stay open until June.

Chal Mahoney is the executive director of the Intermediate Unit 1 for 25 school districts.

Delano: "So it is possible that some school districts may have to close?"

Mahoney: "Absolutely. Absolutely."

All the while, Harrisburg is stalemated with the governor blaming legislators for not raising taxes to end the state's deficit, and Republicans like Bartolotta claiming, "The governor is holding our kids, our human service agencies, and even parents and a lot of small businesses hostage."

"I would ask that they meet in the middle somewhere and get this thing resolved so that we can continue to function and educate our kids," suggests Brian Jackson, superintendent of the California Area School District.

But so far that hasn't happened.

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