Sequester Will Have ‘Minimal’ Impact on Colonial SD, Official Says

With the sequester looming, Pennsylvania education stands to lose more than $26 million. The Colonial School District, however, will be minimally affected by the across-the board spending cut.

The White House released reports on affects that the sequester cuts will have on Americans as part of its strategy to pressure Republicans into accepting a deal that will create new revenues, according to the Huffington Post.

 “[The sequester] affects federal funding, and we don’t get much federal funding,” said Colonial School District Communications Officer David Sherman.  “So it will have a minimal effect.”

In the 2013-2014 budget, Colonial School District is anticipating $658,498 in federal funding, which is just .69 percent of the districts total  $103,004,384 budget.

Colonial School District is expecting $400,000 in Title I funding, $139,000 for Title IIA, $16,609 for Title III LEP and Immigrant Studies funding, and $100,000 in Medical Assistance.

“Title I is a 100% Federally funded supplemental education program that provides financial assistance to local educational agencies to improve educational opportunities for educationally deprived children,” according to the Pennsylvania Department of Education.

Of the Colonial School District budget, almost $85 million comes from local resources and just over $12.5 million from the state.

According to the document released by the White House, Pennsylvania also risks budget cuts for clean air and water protection, military readiness, law enforcement and public safety funds, job search assistance for Pennsylvanians who need work, child care, public health, violence against women and nutrition for seniors, among other programs.

While the White House is sharing the impact of these potential cuts, Republicans in Washington are criticizing the President Barack Obama’s use of the “bully pulpit.”

“Republicans in the House have voted—twice—to replace President Obama's sequester with smarter spending cuts,” Boehner spokesman Michael Steel said, according to the Huffington Post. “The White House needs to spend less time explaining to the press how bad the sequester will be and more time actually working to stop it."

For more reading on sequestration:

   Local Politicians Weigh in on Sequestration

   Sequestration's Impact on Montgomery County

   Sequestration: Impact on National Parks

   Sequestration: A Cut for Montco's Seniors

   Sequestration: Cuts to MontCo's Housing Authority