A proposed referendum by Pa. Governor Tom Wolf would infuse roughly $350 million at the expense of imposing a back-end referendum on all future tax increases by school districts. The decision would require all school district tax increases to be subject to voter approval.

“Why we don’t have the authority to make financial decisions for our school district is beyond me,” voiced Michael Faccinetto, president of the Bethlehem School Board at a Nov. 7 finance committee meeting.

The school board estimates each voter referendum could cost the district between $25,000-$40,000.

“The thing I really don’t understand, we pass a budget once a year, we have a school board election every two years,” Supt. Dr. Joseph Roy said. “So if the voters, the census of the district, are really that unhappy with the taxing practices of the school district, they only have to wait another year … What more voter accountability do you want?”

The proposal comes within the fifth month the Pennsylvania legislature has gone without an approved budget. Wolf has pledged to allocate $400 million taxpayer dollars to public education, $100 million to special education, and $120 million in early childhood education. Additionally, the governor proposes to invest $2 billion in pre-kindergarten education over the next four years.

In a letter to Wolfe, The Campaign for Fair Education Funding said: “Considering school districts’ current financial conditions, the Campaign for Fair Education Funding considers this idea to be reckless, poor policy, and detrimental to the bipartisan efforts you have engaged in over the past year and a half to establish a rational and predictable basic education funding formula.”

The Campaign for Fair Education Funding is an education advocacy group in Pennsylvania, with more than fifty organizations represented.

Approximately 70 percent of the school district’s revenue is locally funded. With the proposed changes, the school district could not advocate for specific budget proposals. School officials stressed the inherent value of localized governance regarding tax increases.

“Because we’re local we’re very responsive to parents and to children and to taxpayers on a daily basis,” said board member Michelle Cann. “Can you imagine not having the ability to interact with your local government regarding your child’s education? Imagine going to Harrisburg and trying to get them to listen to you. That’s what it would come down to.”