It's not just the Schuylkill Haven Area and Blue Mountain school districts that are struggling to balance their budgets.
Data from the Pennsylvania State Education Association show the effects of state budget cuts since Gov. Tom Corbett took office in 2011.
"Education has not been a priority for this governor," Sharon Ward, director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, Harrisburg, said Wednesday.
Ward said basic education subsidies were first cut in the 2010-11 state budget.
"When those cuts occurred, a lot of school districts drew down those reserves," she said, referring to districts' unreserved fund balances.
School districts have also dealt with increasing operation costs and required contributions to pension funds.
Pennsylvania's proposed basic education funding for the 2013-14 school year is $5.49 billion, which is $90 million more than in 2012-13 school year. The state has not passed a final budget yet but is required to do so by June 30.
"School districts have furloughed teachers. They have decreased aides in the classrooms," Ward said, adding that music and art programs have also been eliminated at some schools.
In an effort to balance budget deficits, school districts might opt to raise taxes in lieu of or in addition to eliminating positions and programs.
Locally, at least two school districts are considering making decisions that might affect teaching positions and class programs.
Blue Mountain faces a $1.4 million deficit and has proposed furloughing teachers, increasing class sizes for fifth-grade students, having fewer class periods and curtailing programs. The board meets at 7 p.m. today.
Superintendent Robert Urzillo said Wednesday that costs have increased in the district.
"Special education funding has been flat for five years," he said.
Urzillo also said increases provided to the district do not match the increases the district has to pay, for example, in contractual obligations. Adding to the mix is that the state budget sometimes is not passed before the June 30 deadline for the school districts.
"That throws a degree of uncertainty into the whole process," he said.
The school district increased taxes for the 2012-13 school year by 0.98 mills. The current millage is 35.88 mills.
The Schuylkill Haven Area School District has also been considering furloughing nine teachers, but it took no action on those furloughs during Wednesday's school board meeting.
Last year, the district increased taxes by 0.9 mills to 39.25 mills.
A look at state education funding for each of Pennsylvania's school districts is available at the Pennsylvania State Educaton Association website at www.psea.org/schoolcuts.
