State to provide $1.5M windfall

POTTSTOWN >> Pottstown schools are in line to get another cash infusion from Harrisburg.

A grant providing $1.5 million to the district is expected to be awarded once a contract is signed and other paperwork completed, according to the office of state Sen. Robert Mensch, R-24th Dist.

This is the second straight year that the state has provided additional funding to the Pottstown School District, which is underfunded by more than $13 million every year due to Harrisburg’s failure to fully enact its own fair education funding formula.

At about this time last year, Mensch was joined by state Rep. Tim Hennessey, R-26th Dist., and former Rep. Tom Quigley in announcing a $1 million grant made to help compensate the district for the loss of tax revenue due to Pottstown Hospital being re

moved from the tax rolls.

Mensch recognized that the fair funding formula’s failure to be fully implemented has left Pottstown taxpayers in a tough spot.

“Superintendent (Stephen) Rodriguez truly has the educational and financial best interests of the district’s students and parents at heart — he cares deeply about the quality of education in Pottstown School District,” Mensch said in a release from his office.

“I share his concerns and although Pottstown could benefit from even more help from the state, I am glad I have found the $1.5 million additional dollars for Pottstown. I am proud of the work we have done to obtain additional financial resources to ensure the best quality education for the students and help ease the burden on taxpayers,” he said.

Rodriguez told MediaNews Group that although the administration had filed for the additional funding “I had no expectation that we would necessarily get it. I don’t like to county my chickens before they hatch.”

It won’t be hard to find a use for the money, Rodriguez said.

“We have identified facility needs of $24 million in the next five to seven years,” he said.

Once the grant is officially received, Rodriguez said the funding will likely pay for things like plumbing repair and replacement at the high school and former Edgewood School, which the district still owns but rents out.

“There are areas of the high school roof which are giving us trouble, we may apply some to re-surfacing the track and work that needs to be done at

“I share his concerns and although Pottstown could benefit from even more help from the state, I am glad I have found the $1.5 million additional dollars for Pottstown.”

— State Sen. Bob Mensch

MEDIANEWS GROUP FILE PHOTO State Sen. Bob Mensch, R-24th Dist., speaks at a 2018 ceremony announcing a $1 million education grant for Pottstown schools.

Stephen Rodriguez the North End Learning Center,” Rodriguez said. “It’s certainly not $13 million, but over the last three years, we have been provided with an additional $2.8 million, and that is something I am truly thankful for,” Rodriguez said.