Grucela Votes ‘NO’ To Inadequate Funding for Easton, Bangor and Nazareth Schools

State Rep. Richard Grucela, D-Northampton, said he did not support the 2007-08 state education budget, which is why he also removed himself as the prime sponsor of the legislation. The bill passed the House of Representatives as part of the state budget package.

Grucela said a funding component of the bill that provides additional funding for school districts with a growing student population does not provide enough support to keep school property taxes in his local school districts from being raised.

“Builders, especially in districts like mine, are rapidly constructing housing developments without bearing any responsibility for the cost they subject on school districts,” Grucela said. “Each of the developments brings more students into classrooms, with school districts and their taxpayers footing the bill.”
Grucela noted that the cost to educate one new student is about three times what the average school district collects on the student's new home in property taxes. When a family with more than one child moves in, the shortfall multiplies.

“This budget was originally supposed to provide additional support to districts like mine to offset the costs of our booming student population; the final budget didn’t even come close to meeting the needs of my constituents.”

Grucela, who serves on the House Education Committee, has introduced legislation that would allow school districts to impose a fee on new residential development to compensate for new school costs. The fees would enable school districts to accommodate increased student enrollment due to new housing developments in the district.