Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the State Budget Charter Funding topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Lower Moreland administration recommends withholding 20% of charter tuition while Pennsylvania budget remains unsettled
Summary
District officials told the board they plan to temporarily withhold 20% of public charter and cyber-charter tuition invoices — the district's estimated portion of unpaid state aid — until the Commonwealth passes a budget; the approach was presented as a temporary, legally reviewed measure and will be monitored for risk and timing.
A recommendation from Lower Moreland Township School District administrators to temporarily withhold 20% of each public charter and cyber-charter tuition invoice drew extended discussion at the board meeting as members pressed for legal and financial context.
The proposed strategy, summarized by district staff and included in a board memo, would delay 20% of payments that become due during the state budget impasse and hold those amounts until the Commonwealth enacts a budget and funding is restored. The administration told the board the 20% figure corresponds to the district’s share of state revenue currently withheld by the impasse.
"Under Pennsylvania law, we're required to pay tuition to public charter schools for resident students, but the impasse is placing an inequitable and unsustainable burden on districts," a district presenter said, explaining the rationale for a temporary, proportional withholding. The memo says withheld amounts would remain the district's obligation and would be paid in full once the state funding issue is resolved.
Board members asked about legal exposure and timing. The administration said it had run the approach past the district solicitor, who concluded it could be justified if the withheld portion was limited to the 20% figure. One board member asked whether the district should begin withholding immediately; a district official replied, "We're gonna start now." (paraphrase of transcript comment).
Officials said the district pays roughly $300,000 annually in charter tuition and that withholding 20% is intended as a measured step to signal pressure on state policymakers while protecting local operations through short-term cash management and internal adjustments. The administration said it believes many districts are considering similar actions and that a few are taking more aggressive steps.
Superintendent Dr. Best noted the district continues to monitor state legislative developments and would keep the board informed of contingency plans. The board also reviewed a separate proposed resolution urging the Pennsylvania General Assembly to resolve the budget impasse; that resolution will be considered for a vote at the next meeting.
The administration framed the withholding as a temporary, reversible measure: withheld amounts would be paid consistent with contract and statutory timelines once state funding resumes, the memo says. Legal and operational uncertainties remain, and board members asked staff to return with gap strategies and additional analysis if the impasse continues.
The board did not record a formal roll-call vote on the withholding policy during the meeting. Administration said it would begin implementation and continue advising the board on legal risk and timing.
