Late last year Morrisville School District officials sounded an alarm if state and federal budgets were not passed soon the district will have to close its doors in early 2026.
State lawmakers acted, and when the 2026-27 budget passed in July, the General Assembly provided the chronically underfunded school district with an additional $3.5 million, which will remain a permanent addition to the district’s base funding, according to officials.
Earlier this week state Rep. Jim Prokopiak hosted a Democratic House Majority Policy Committee for a roundtable and tour at Morrisville so lawmakers could hear firsthand how the additional funds are being spent.
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“When we invest in our public schools, students win and our communities win,” said Prokopiak, who represents portions of Bucks County, including Morrisville. “More dollars mean smaller school sizes and more resources for greater academic and mental health support – something that’s not possible when schools are underfunded.”
According to Prokopiak, Morrisville’s experience reflects what has happened across Pennsylvania.
The Commonwealth Court found the state’s funding system unconstitutional in 2023. Months after the ruling, the House Democratic leadership team crisscrossed the state to advocate for the fair funding of public schools and the most underserved school districts, making stops in Philadelphia, Berks, Centre and Allegheny counties.
Morrisville School Board president Damon Miller said in the past, Morrisville had experienced furloughs and needed to cut programs, having to struggle financially for years.
Miller added that the goal for the school now is to be more competitive with other school districts of its size when it comes to salaries. Being uncompetitive when it came to salaries led to numerous leadership changes and short-term tenures.
Administrators noted Morrisville was forced to be creative in finding answers to funding shortfalls. However, the small district has survived and remains a tight-knit district, with an estimated 850 students in the building.
“We’re seeing what happens when resources reach the students who need them,” said state Rep. Ryan Bizzarro, who represents portions of Erie County and serves as the House Majority Policy Committee chairman. “The progress in Morrisville shows why sustained investment matters. We need to keep closing the gaps, so every student has an opportunity to succeed, regardless of their ZIP code.
“Having opportunities to visit smaller school districts is amazing, because it gives us an opportunity to make sure all students, all teachers and all parents are seen and heard,” said state Rep. Regina Young, who represents portions of Philadelphia and Delaware County and serves as a subcommittee chair on the House Majority Policy Committee. “All voices in this educational space should be heard and that should be a priority across the commonwealth.
Adequacy funds can be used where needed, and across Pennsylvania, schools have used the money to hire more teachers, support technical education programs, provide mental health support, expand STEAM programming and increase staffing, official’s explained explained during the roundtable.
The committee was joined by interim acting school superintendent Dr. Elaine Eib, business manager Dea Popovski, middle/senior high school principal Brian Oberdick, and elementary (K-5) principal Nick Zlupko.
“It feels like a family here, and that can’t be manufactured,” Morrisville Eib said.
Prokopiak, at an unrelated August event in his district, told Lower Bucks Source the new funding was a “huge win” for the school district.
It was the item he said was the among the top three wins from the new budget.