Auditor General DePasquale Issues Statement on Payments to Charter Schools During Budget Impasse
Pledges due-diligence in review of payments
Auditor General DePasquale Issues Statement on Payments to Charter Schools During Budget Impasse
Pledges due-diligence in review of payments
HARRISBURG (Oct. 16, 2015) – Auditor General Eugene DePasquale issued the following statement on the Department of Education making payments from gaming revenues to charter schools during the budget impasse:
“Charter schools are possibly receiving payments from the commonwealth while some school districts are scrambling to borrow money. This is just another example of the pain being inflicted on our entire educational system by the prolonged state budget impasse.
“Both our charter schools and our school districts must receive the funding they are entitled to -- funding they sorely need to educate our students.
“While we await a solution to the state budget, we will be doing our due-diligence to review these payments and try to determine the appropriateness according to both the charter school law and all laws applying to gaming funds.”
Auditor General DePasquale last month said that through September, the prolonged state budget impasse forced at least 17 school districts and two intermediate units to borrow more than $346 million to meet expenses and keep classrooms open. Interest and fees on those borrowed education dollars could reach $11.2 million.
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