The Pennsylvania school district that challenged the constitutionality of Pennsylvania’s school funding system says it will have to close in January unless the state comes to a resolution on its budget impasse.

The William Penn School District in Delaware County sued the Pennsylvania Department of Education in 2014 and in 2023, the state Commonwealth Court found that Pennsylvania’s school funding system violates the state constitution’s education clause and equal protection provisions.

But during Monday night’s meeting of the school board, superintendent Dr. Eric Becoats announced that the district only has enough cash to operate its schools for approximately three months unless the state budget is approved.

“If there’s no state budget, we will be able to continue to operate through the end of January,” said Becoats. “If there’s no state budget by the end of January, we will definitely be in uncharted territory. And I would say to you that we’re already in uncharted territory.”

The Pennsylvania Constitution calls for the General Assembly and the governor to have a spending plan in place no later than June 30 of each year. But the Democratic-controlled House and the GOP-led Senate have been unable to reach a resolution for the past 120 days and keeping necessary funding from the state’s school districts.

According to the board, William Penn, which encompasses Aldan, Colwyn, Darby, East Lansdowne, Lansdowne, and Yeadon – is underfunded by $28 million per year and spends $6 million per month on payroll, utilities, transportation and essential services.

“I’m not trying to scare anyone, but we are in some hard times,” board president Monique Boykins said. “I just need everyone to know what we are about to face.”

William Penn has already taken out a $9.9 million loan just to keep its doors open to this point this academic year.

“We cannot keep borrowing money from banks,” she added, because “that means taxpayers will have to continue to pay more money. We already know that people are losing – foreclosing on their homes because they can’t cover taxes.

“Our state reps they help. We are politically affiliated. It’s people higher than them that have this say-so and things are not going our way right now.”

Nicole Reigelman, a spokesperson for House Speaker Joanna McClinton (D-Philadelphia/Delaware), whose district includes William Penn, told the Philadelphia Inquirer that “chronically underfunded” systems like William Penn “are suffering the consequences of the state Senate’s rejection of the commonsense budgets passed by the House. It is unfair to our school districts and the students they serve.”

Becoats said that its state representatives have stood by the district and supported them in Harrisburg.

“This is not to frighten anyone, it is to be transparent and to be upfront with you about the situation we find ourselves,” he said.