Erie County Times

Erie Public School District is officially off of the financial watch list as of Sept. 29 after five years, according to a news release by Gov. Tom Wolf’s office.

Wolf said he was “immensely proud” of the school district's years of work that it put into improving its finances. Erie Public Schools is the first school district in Pennsylvania's history to be removed from the financial watch status. 

“It is a monumental accomplishment,” Wolf said. “Erie has demonstrated its ability to maintain a structurally balanced budget, and made strategic investments in students, staff, and programs that previously struggled due to financial challenges. Through strong partnerships and oversight locally – and additional education funding from my administration – the district was able to stabilize its finances. Their recovery process should serve as a model for other school districts that are struggling financially.”

The district was put on the financial watch list in September 2016, which led to EPS and the Department of Education working together to solve the financial issues presented. This plan included standardizing and replacing outdated curricula; hiring staff for English language, arts and math; and hiring teachers for art, music and physical education, which were programs reduced in past years.

Superintendent Brian Polito called this a “momentous day” in the district’s history.

“That we are now being removed from financial watch – the first district in the commonwealth to achieve such a goal – is a testament to diligent and thoughtful planning in every aspect of our organization, strategic execution of that plan and, of course, robust support from the state – without which, we would not be here today,” Polito said. “I’m so proud to say this district is now much better positioned, financially and operationally, to serve our families and meet the mission of ensuring every student finds a personal path to success.”

This year, Wolf appointed James Ohrn to be the financial administrator overseeing the district’s recovery. He developed and implemented the financial improvement plan used to improve its status. 

“My analysis of the financial footing of Erie Public Schools’ General Fund now confirms that, after access to additional local and state support, prudent usage of federal stimulus funds, and ongoing initiatives for cost control, the future financial projections over the next five years are both structurally balanced and provide the necessary funds for curriculum upgrades and capital improvements,” Ohrn said.

Department of Education Acting Secretary Eric Hagarty said that this is a “great accomplishment” for Erie Public Schools, which are on a path to success under the leadership of Polito and Ohrn.

“Over the past eight years, the Wolf Administration has been committed to providing targeted support and funding to Pennsylvania’s schools, and those efforts combined with the strong partnerships formed between the school district, the state, and the local community have laid the groundwork to benefit students and their families for years to come,” Hagarty said.

State Rep. Bob Merski is a former teacher and recognizes that this was not an easy endeavor for EPS. He said it took plenty of work fighting for millions in recurring aid, and that the state has delivered and been an “essential partner” in the process. 

“Now, with historic funding for Erie in the new state budget and a talented, dedicated workforce, the district is ready for autonomy. While it is exciting to see management of our district return to local control, our work is far from finished,” Merski said. “Restoring the instructional staff and other cuts that were made to get us back to solvency will be a major focus in the months ahead. But it is encouraging to know that we will be working on those goals from a stronger, more stable position.”

State Rep. Pat Harkins agreed that the work has just begun and said Erie Public Schools have been underfunded for decades, making it impossible to compete. Harkins vowed to continue seeking level-up funding tom “level the playing field” for the district’s students.

“Leaving Financial Watch status is a huge milestone for the Erie city school district, which has worked hard to comply with the requirements of the state’s plan and now has the ability to maintain a balanced budget for years into the future,” Harkins said.