In late 2025, the program and communication teams of Berks County Community Foundation spent two days in the Kutztown area. There, they visited local institutions that contribute to the area’s vitality.
The foundation conducts these site visits to gain knowledge about the communities we serve. Some institutions have received gifts from various funds the foundation manages. Other institutions simply enrich the cultural, educational, or religious life of the county.
This blog post is part two of a two-part series on the Kutztown tour. Read part one, available here.
The second half of the Kutztown site visit started one cold November morning at Crystal Cave, one of the oldest tourist landmarks in Berks County. Discovered on November 12, 1871, our team toured the first “show cave” in Pennsylvania on the 154th anniversary of the cave’s discovery.
The welcome center and inn giftshop at Crystal Cave were once a hotel which accommodated guests traveling from far distances.
The cave was discovered by William Merkel and John Gehret while they were blasting for limestone. After the smoke cleared, the pair descended 125 feet into damp, underground darkness. Although the pair didn’t come to purchase the cave, their initials are etched into one of the cave’s rock formations. With some formations aging more than half a million years old, it is safe to say that Merkel and Gehret’s legacies will endure for generations to come.
William Merkel and John Gehret etched their names into a rock formation upon discovering Crystal Cave on November 12, 1871.
Human influence—and intrusion—are common traits in Crystal Cave’s history as a “show cave”. Immediately after Merkel and Gehret’s discovery, Berks County residents began to brave the impenetrable darkness of the cave, in search of souvenirs. Frustrated with the damage, Samuel D. F. Kohler bought the cave, built an official entrance, and started charging guests 25 cents for admission.
The ancient appeal of Crystal Cave brought tourists from all over the country, which ushered in a time of economic growth for Kohler. Improvements were made inside the cave for safety purposes, a hotel was built for guests, and a stagecoach was purchased to expand access across the region.
Foundation team members standing at the opening of Crystal Cave, which was created for guests to safely enter the cave.
As business expanded, the Kohler family tested the limits of the cave. Hoedowns, weddings, and baptisms took place in the “Crystal Cave Ballroom”, complete with a bar for liquor, live band, and dance floor. Amid renovations and celebrations, David Kohler (son of Samuel) sold Crytal Cave to J. Douglas Kaufman.
The stalagmite “altar”, which was used in Marion Kurtz’s wedding to Francis Finley on October 15th, 1919, was removed from its original site in Crystal Cave. Without a stalactite dripping mineral water on the stalagmite altar, the altar decays. The intervention of oils from a human hand also contribute to the decay of these rock foundations.
In more recent years, Crystal Cave, Inc. has adapted as an attraction that celebrates nature and educates visitors on the fragility of the cave’s rock formations. When touring the cave, guests are asked to not touch the rock formations, as human touch can interfere with their growth—a big change from the days of removing crystals from the cave as a souvenir.
Now, Crystal Cave attracts the public through their scenic hiking trails, educational group tours, historical museum and much more.
To learn more about Crystal Cave or plan your next excursion, visit Crystal Cave’s website.
A large portion of Crystal Cave, with added walkways and lighting to make the tour safer for visitors.
The Council of Three Rivers American Indian Center is a nonprofit whose mission is to promote the socio-economic development of the Native American community and others who experience similar types of economic difficulties in the Greater Pittsburg metropolitan area.
The tribes most associated with Berks County include the Susquehannock, Lenape, and Iroquois peoples. Today, only 1.4% of Berks County’s population identifies as an American Native. The impact of native lives, however, can be found all over the county: what we now know as Maxatawny, Neversink, Saucony, and Tulpehocken were once Machksithanne, Navesink, Saconk, and Tulpewahaki, respectively.
The second day of our Kutztown tour concluded with a brief visit to shops along Main Street and the surrounding Kutztown area. Find the list of shops the foundation team visited below:
Casa de Empanada
Saucony Creek Brewing Company
Sorrelli Jewelry
Kutztown Tavern
Young Ones Records
Paisley & Company
Dietrich’s Meta’s and Country Store
Firefly Bookstore
Interested in having the foundation visit your nonprofit or organization? Reach out!
The DentaQuest Fund of Berks County Community Foundation, along with the PA Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics (PA AAP), recently helped bring the Oral Health Story Kit program and dental screenings to the Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library.
Take-home supplies from the Oral Health Story Kit included a tooth cleaning tools and educational materials.
A lack of access to care can impede oral health, especially in children. With many Americans living in a ‘dental desert’, the demand for local dentists is high. Compounded with expensive treatment costs, many individuals lack necessary, preventative care, resulting in emergency dental service and/or untreated oral diseases.
A volunteer dental student interested in pediatric dental care reads a book about oral health to an audience of children.
The PA Chapter of American Academy of Pediatrics (PA AAP) is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the equitable health and well-being of all Pennsylvania children; they accomplish this by implementing community programs of education, support, and advocacy. As experts in pediatric healthcare, they are committed to fostering collaboration among pediatricians, families, and community partners.
The Oral Health Story Kit is just one PA AAP program that promotes oral health literacy to Berks County residents. In early February, pediatric oral healthcare professionals and their students came to the Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library to facilitate free oral health story times and screenings for children, and to disperse educational materials to community members.
“Programs like the Oral Health Story Kits help build oral‑health literacy at the earliest ages, which is one of the strongest predictors of long‑term dental health,” says Jacqueline Pugliese, Oral Health Program Manager of PA AAP. “In rural areas of Berks County, where access to providers is limited, giving families clear, engaging tools to understand how to care for their teeth can make a real difference. Libraries are the perfect place to spark that learning—accessible, trusted, and rooted in the community.”
A variety of interactive educational materials were available during the program, including puppets to practice tooth brushing, dioramas on the effects of sugary drinks on teeth, and children’s oral health flyers for families to take with them.
“Many residents in our rural area have large families and limited transportation. There are no local health care or offices for social services,” says Kaitlin Lehman, Director of the Bethel-Tulpehocken Public Library. “Bringing representatives of these organizations closer to people who need them is a big step in improving accessibility. Getting connected to services through a familiar, trusted resource like the library also helps reduce the barrier of fear or uncertainty.”
Volunteer dental students conducted basic oral health screenings on young patients.
While access to medical specialists may be lacking, every community in Berks County has a local library. For our rural communities, libraries may be the only communal space to gather—and why it makes sense for PA AAP to meet the community where they already are.
“In our community, there are no other public spaces – no senior center, playground, or rec center. So, people rely on the library not only as a source of information and education, but also for community and connection,” says Lehman. “The library is the only place that people can come and just be, without judgment, and without the expectation of spending money.”
PA AAP and Berks County Community Foundation understand the importance of these programs, and that charitable dollars can never replace government funding. While government funding continues to roll back for health and human services, the nonprofit sector recognizes the need to consolidate resources and provide creative solutions to arising community needs.
Volunteer dental students used dental-themed coloring book pages to teach children about the impact of oral health.
“Berks County Community Foundation is happy to support programs like the Oral Health Story Kit,” says Cindy Milian, Health and Human Services Program Officer. “There are many ways to build a healthier Berks County, and engaging the youth in conversations about their health can help lay a strong foundation.”
The next Oral History Health Kit program and dental screening will take place at Morgantown Library on February 18th from 10am to 12pm. Walkins are available for this free service. This program was made possible, in part, by the DentaQuest Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. This fund is now closed for applications.
If you are passionate about improving the health and quality of life for Berks County residents, consider donating to the Dental Treatment Fund of Berks County Community Foundation. This fund helps cover the cost of dental treatment for individuals with financial need.
Until this year, when a Pennsylvania resident died without a will and without surviving family, their entire estate was claimed by the Commonwealth and absorbed into the state’s general fund. That changed on January 23, 2026.
Under Act 50, if someone in Pennsylvania dies intestate (without a will) and leaves no heirs, the assets of their estate will now be directed to an endowed fund at the community foundation serving the county of their most recent residence. Instead of disappearing into the state’s general fund, those dollars will stay in the communities where these individuals lived, supporting local nonprofits and strengthening community life for generations to come.
Although these situations are uncommon, they do happen—and until now, the outcomes didn’t reflect the decedents’ lifelong ties to their communities. Many of these Pennsylvanians worked, paid taxes, volunteered, and contributed to their neighborhoods. Yet when they died without family or a valid will, their remaining assets were absorbed by the Commonwealth, separated from the place they once called home.
Act 50 updates Pennsylvania’s Intestate Succession law to provide a more community-centered solution. When no heirs can be located, the estate will now be transferred into an endowed grantmaking fund at the local community foundation. These endowed funds are designed to exist in perpetuity, providing stable, ongoing support to local charities year after year.
To support the new law, the Pennsylvania Community Foundation Association has certified that each county in the Commonwealth is served by a community foundation with a qualifying endowed community fund. This ensures that no matter where someone lived, their final gift will benefit their own community.
Importantly, Act 50 does not replace the need for thoughtful estate planning. Writing a will remains the best way to ensure that personal wishes are honored—especially for those who hope to leave a philanthropic legacy by supporting causes they care deeply about. But when life takes an unexpected turn, Act 50 ensures that dignity, fairness, and community values guide the final outcome.
Berks County Community Foundation, established in 1994, is committed to promoting philanthropy and improving the quality of life for residents of Berks County. Through Act 50, we are honored to help ensure that every Pennsylvanian’s final gift can remain rooted in the place they called home.
It’s never too early for estate planning.
Let’s have a one-on-one conversation about your desired philanthropic legacy.
At Berks County Community Foundation, we know that charitable giving is deeply personal—and that choosing the right tools matters just as much as choosing the causes you care about.
Whether you are considering establishing your first fund with the Community Foundation or considering adding another fund to complement the ones you already have, it can be helpful to step back and look at how different options support different goals.
Designated Fund
Perhaps you are instead (or also) focused on making a lasting impact on a single organization that has played an important role in your life. In that case, a designated fund may be the right addition to your charitable portfolio. A designated fund provides ongoing, predictable support to a specific nonprofit—either through regular distributions or grants made as needed. Because the Community Foundation provides stewardship of the fund’s assets, a designated fund offers stability and continuity for the organization it benefits. This type of fund can be especially helpful if you want to “bunch” multiple years of giving into a single year for tax purposes while ensuring continued support for a favorite charity over time. Plus, if you are age 70 ½ or older, a designated fund can receive Qualified Charitable Distributions from your IRA.
Some donors are drawn to a different approach: addressing the community’s most pressing needs, both now and in the future, while relying on professional insight to guide that work. For these donors, an unrestricted fund offers powerful flexibility. Unrestricted funds allow the Community Foundation to direct resources where they are needed most as circumstances change—whether that means responding to a crisis, supporting emerging opportunities, or addressing long-term challenges. These funds play a critical role in the community’s ability to adapt and thrive, and they create a legacy of giving that remains relevant for generations.
A field-of-interest is similar to an unrestricted fund, except that you can name a specific area of need, such as the arts, education, or emergency assistance, to receive support from the fund.
Donor advised funds make it simple to support a wide range of nonprofits while maintaining a clear, organized approach to philanthropy. With a donor advised fund, you can make contributions of cash, stock, or other property at your convenience, and these gifts are eligible for a charitable tax deduction in the year of the gift. Separately, the donor advised fund allows you to recommend grants to your favorite IRS-qualified charities over time.
Adopt a portfolio approach
Many donors choose to establish more than one type of fund over time, building a thoughtful and diversified approach to philanthropy that reflects both their values and their evolving priorities.
Wherever you are on your charitable giving journey, the Community Foundation is here to help. It is our privilege to partner with you, provide guidance, and support your generosity in ways that strengthen the community we all care about. Please reach out anytime—we would love to talk with you.
In late 2025, the program and communication teams of Berks County Community Foundation spent two days in the Kutztown area. There, they visited local institutions that contribute to the area’s vitality.
The foundation conducts these site visits to gain knowledge about the communities we serve. Some institutions have received gifts from various funds the foundation manages. Other institutions simply enrich the cultural, educational, or religious life of the county.
This blog post is part one of a two-part series on the Kutztown tour.
The tour started at the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center on Kutztown University’s campus. There, our tour guide, Patrick J. Donmoyer, talked about the Berks County art tradition of barn stars, an art form which can be traced back to the late 1700s. Milton J. Hill (1887-1972), the celebrated local artist, was a third-generation barn star painter and native speaker of Pennsylvania Dutch. Hill contributed to dozens of installations of barn stars that are still hanging today. In fact, the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center offers a free, self-guided tour of the barn stars of Berks County. Berks County is home to the highest concentration of barn stars in Pennsylvania, a testament to the cultural influence of Pennsylvania Germans in the area.
A barn star from a local barn that has been removed for preservation and restoration purposes.
Donmoyer also shared famous Pennsylvania Dutch folklore and traditions with the team. These folk legends included such the sainted healer Mountain Mary and the grumpy Christmas visitor known as the Belsnickel. Donmoyer also shared the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of herbal healing, quilting, and of course, local cuisine.
After visiting the Heritage Center, the foundation team briefly joined an undergraduate class at Kutztown University’s Botanical Research Center. Dr. Chris Habeck’s students on the regenerative organic agriculture track presented their projects, which included research on biochar’s effects on soil health and plant growth. In addition, the research done at the center will benefit local partners, namely farmers from the Rodale Institute and beyond.
A student of the Botanical Research Center presents research on biochar.
A short walk on Kutztown University’s campus brought the team to the university’s planetarium/observatory. There, Dr. Phill Reed demonstrated the updated technology the planetarium requires to run. The Kutztown University Planetarium is open to the community for various educational and recreational shows. After viewing one of these shows, Reed and the foundation team ascended the stairwell which led to the C.R. Chambliss Astronomical Observatory. There, Reed informed the group of notable research that had been and continues to be conducted using the observatory. Students have identified 15 new exoplanets using the observatory, providing new insight into the architecture of our solar system.
Dr. Phill Reed demonstrates how students use the observatory.
Leaving the university’s campus, the tour continued down Kutztown’s Main Street and into the residential landscape of the area. The Kutztown Area Historical Society is home to many installations, including a miniature train museum, renderings of Victorian-era living spaces, and a room dedicated to the late artist Keith Haring. The Historical Society is open to the public and has community projects in which residents can participate.
A portion of the Keith Haring display at the Kutztown Area Historical Society. The display includes Haring’s artwork using chalk, a temporary display protected by glass.
Part one of our Kutztown visit concluded where it began, on Kutztown University’s campus. The Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research boasts an archive of artifacts, instruments, manuscripts, and recordings of mallet percussive pioneers. The center also has a performance hall and rehearsal rooms for Kutztown students and community members. The Kutztown Pipe Band, a Kutztown University and nonprofit community group in the area, utilizes the space. With support from the Juniper Fund of Berks County Community Foundation, the band has grown its membership. Now, they offer free “Intro to Piping” classes for those with no prior experience who may be interested in joining.
A mallet instrument and historical artifacts on display at the Wells-Rapp Center for Mallet Percussion Research.
This concludes part one of the two-part series about the foundation’s site visit to the Kutztown area.
Many people approach a new year with a genuine desire to be more intentional about their charitable giving.
They know they want to make a difference, align their generosity with their values, and perhaps even involve their families—but they are often unsure where to begin. The combination of busy lives, changing tax laws, and an ever-growing number of worthy causes can make getting started feel overwhelming. The good news is that taking a few simple, thoughtful actions at the beginning of the year can bring clarity and confidence to your giving.
Here are three first steps to inspire you:
Consider reviewing your 2025 charitable contributions with the team at the Community Foundation. Looking back at last year’s giving can be surprisingly helpful, especially when guided by professionals who understand both philanthropy and the local community. The Community Foundation can help you see the real-world impact of your gifts, identify patterns in your giving, and highlight opportunities you may not have considered. This review also creates a natural bridge to planning your 2026 support, whether that means refining your focus, adjusting gift amounts, or exploring new charitable vehicles. Just as important, it allows you to begin thinking strategically about future years, helping ensure that your generosity grows in a way that is both meaningful and sustainable.
Talk with your tax advisors as soon as possible about whether and how the new tax laws might impact your situation. Charitable giving is closely connected to tax and estate planning, and early conversations can help you make informed decisions before the year gets too far along. This is also an ideal time to revisit your estate plan and beneficiary designations. Many donors choose to include a gift to their fund at the Community Foundation in their wills, trusts, or beneficiary designations on retirement accounts or life insurance policies, creating a lasting legacy that reflects their values. Coordinating these updates with your tax advisor and the foundation can ensure your charitable intentions are clearly documented, tax-efficient, and aligned with your overall financial and estate planning goals.
Set goals for your charitable involvement in 2026. Rather than giving reactively, goal setting allows you to be proactive and intentional about how you engage with the causes you care about. Berks County Community Foundation can help you explore new and emerging charities, learn more about pressing needs in the community, and connect with organizations that align with your interests. Together, you and our team can create a plan for timing gifts throughout the year, whether through recurring contributions, single large gifts early in the year to help a favorite charity leap ahead, or strategic gifts of highly appreciated or complex assets. This approach not only makes giving more manageable but also helps ensure your generosity has the greatest possible impact.
As you look ahead, remember that you do not have to navigate charitable planning on your own. The Community Foundation is here to serve as a trusted partner—whether you are just getting started, refining an existing plan, or thinking about the legacy you want to leave for future generations. We invite you to reach out anytime to ask questions, explore ideas, or take the next step in your giving journey. We are honored to help you turn your charitable intentions into meaningful, lasting impact.
Please reach out to Molly McCullough Robbins, Vice President for Philanthropic Services, by calling 610-685-2223 or emailing mollyr@bccf.org.
On Wednesday, November 19th 2025, the Berks community gathered at WCR Center for the Arts in Reading, PA, for Berks County Community Foundation’s annual meeting, “A Night at the Theater”.
Monica Reyes, Vice President for Programs and Initiatives, welcomes attendees. Photo by Jeremy Drey
Foundation President Kevin Murphy gave opening remarks and shared a broad overview of the foundation’s work during the previous fiscal year.
“But the assets we manage only represent our potential for making progress,” said Kevin Murphy. “What we do with those assets is what really matters.” Building community partnerships and supporting our local nonprofits are what really matters, now more than ever.
Foundation President, Kevin Murphy, gives opening remarks. Photo by Jeremy Drey
Keynote speaker Kim Sheffer, Lifelong Learning Program Officer at the foundation, expanded on the topic of community engagement and collaboration. Over the past year, Kim convened with local businesses, higher education institutions, and nonprofits to develop a strategic plan for retaining more Berks County college and university graduates.
Kim brought Generation Impact, a program of VOiCEup Berks focused on engaging, connecting, and retaining 18–24-year-olds in Berks County, into the conversation. The foundation is proud to announce that we are supporting Generation Impact’s pilot program, which will hire campus ambassadors, manage annual signature events, and provide networking opportunities for students and employers.
“If our collective goal is to make it compelling for college students and young professionals to say “yes” to Berks,” said Kim Sheffer, “we must work together to make it a vibrant and livable place.”
Kim Sheffer, Lifelong Learning Program Officer, delivers the interactive keynote speech. Photos by Jeremy Drey.
Contributing to our community vibrancy are Tim Shew and Jane Brockman, the guest performers for the annual meeting. Credited with decades of lead roles in Broadway productions, Tim and Jane are experts in their respective fields.
Broadway veterans Tim Shew and Jane Brockman perform a musical number. Photo by Jeremy Drey
They are also the perfect people to host and direct local musical theater workshops—which they are currently doing at Alvernia University. In the spirit of collaboration, these workshops—and the community musical theatre production they will stage in the Spring of 2026—are open for any Berks County college/university student to attend. Independent community actors are also welcome to join.
From right to left, the above photos feature: Musical theater workshop participant and producer of the upcoming community musical theater production performs “Beautiful City” from the musical Godspell; Musical theater workshop participant and current Alvernia University student performs “Diva’s Lament (Whatever Happened to My Part?)” from the musical Spamalot; Musical theater workshop participant performs “On the Steps of the Palace” from the musical Into the Woods. Photos by Jeremy Drey
At Berks County Community Foundation, we are honored to work with you and so many other families, individuals, and businesses to help organize your charitable giving and support favorite charities that make a difference in our community.
As the year winds down, here are 10 giving tips to keep in mind:
Remember that 2025 is a pivotal year for charitable planning. With more stringent charitable deduction limitations taking effect in 2026 under new tax laws, this year may offer a favorable tax environment for your giving depending on your personal situation. Talk with your tax advisors as soon as possible.
Work with your tax advisors to evaluate the benefits of “bunching” multiple years of charitable gifts into 2025. By front-loading contributions, you may be able to exceed the standard deduction this year and maximize your tax benefits.
Use a donor-advised fund to simplify year-end giving. You can make one tax-deductible contribution now, receive the deduction in 2025, and recommend grants to nonprofits over time, throughout 2026 and beyond.
Give appreciated stock instead of cash. Donating long-term appreciated securities may eliminate capital gains tax and in turn increase your charitable impact. Talk with our team and your tax advisors as soon as possible so these gifts can be processed well before the end of the year.
Explore giving from your IRA if you’re 70½ or older. A Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) can reduce taxable income and, if applicable, satisfy required minimum distributions—to the tune of $108,000 per taxpayer in 2025. IRS rules allow you to make QCDs to a wide variety of funds at the Community Foundation (but not to your donor-advised fund).
Check to see whether you’ve met your charitable goals for 2025. Don’t wait until late December to review your plan. Our team can help you think through options for this year and begin to coordinate more complex gifts for next year.
Support the community overall by making gifts to existing funds at Berks County Community Foundation. 2025 has been a tough year for many people in our community, and our team can help you support families in crisis both now and in the future.
Review your beneficiary designations. Naming your fund as a beneficiary of an IRA or other retirement account can create meaningful future gifts while reducing the tax burden on heirs.
Avoid last-minute surprises. Gifts of complex assets—such as real estate or closely-held stock—require additional steps and a lot of lead time, so contact us early if you’re considering these options. Even if it is too late to complete these gifts in 2025, start working with our team on options for 2026 gifts.
Above all, lean on the team at the Community Foundation! We are here to help you explore the most tax-efficient ways to meet your charitable goals, whether you’re planning year-end gifts, updating a legacy plan, or thinking ahead to the changes coming in 2026.
Thank you for the opportunity to work with you. We look forward to supporting your charitable goals this year and for many years to come.
This solicitation is valid only for residents of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
by Susan Shelly McGovern
Young children work in a classroom. Schools across Berks County and Pennsylvania were affected by federal budget cuts and the state impasse.
With a state budget finally signed into law and the federal government reopening on the same day last week, some Berks County public school administrators remain concerned about potentially lasting impacts caused by a lack of funding for more than four months.
Significant funding for school districts has been held up since July 1 due to a failure by Pennsylvania state legislators to agree on terms for the state’s FY2025-26 budget. Legislators finally reached an agreement on a $50.1 billion spending plan and Gov. Josh Shapiro signed it into law on Nov. 12.
On the same day, President Donald J. Trump signed a funding bill to reopen the federal government following a 43-day standoff in Congress.
While education leaders welcomed those events, there is uncertainty about when the delayed funding will reach them and concern about potential consequences of the interruptions to funding that forced some districts to take out loans and delay or cancel programming and school activities.
Federal Funding Concerns Remain
Wayne Gehris, chief financial officer of the Reading School District, is concerned about potential cuts to Medicaid that could affect ACCESS reimbursements to the district, totaling between $1.5 and $2 million a year.
That could impact health care coverage for some low-income students or those with disabilities.
He also worries that demand for free meals provided by Reading schools will increase due to uncertainties concerning SNAP benefits, which many students and their families rely on.
“Not all students rely on the free breakfast program, but a reduction or delay in SNAP funding may cause more students to participate,” Gehris wrote in response to a county-wide survey of school districts facilitated by the Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU).
Christian Lelllig, chief financial officer of the Daniel Boone Area School District, reported his district also has been affected by federal cuts and the shutdown of the government.
“Federal programs such as Title I, special education (IDEA) and school meal funding have experience delays in payments, which has created uncertainty for our budgeting and staffing,” Lellig said.
And Lucille Gallis, chief financial officer for the Berks County Intermediate Unit (BCIU), reported that Preschool Development Grant funding, which provides mental health supports for preschool and childcare centers across Pennsylvania, has been eliminated for fiscal year 2026.
The Berks County Intermediate Unit in Berks County was forced to take out a loan due to delayed funding.
State Impasse Affected Most Berks County Districts
While 53% of school districts that participated in the BCIU survey reported experiencing impacts from federal cuts and the government shutdown, 80% said they were negatively affected by the state budget impasse.
Many districts reported putting a hold on or limiting non-curricular and extracurricular expenditures, deferring non-critical maintenance, delaying purchasing and reducing programming.
Tim Matlack, superintendent of Antietam School District, said that field trips were cancelled and after school activities like the MATHCOUNTS competition are in jeopardy.
“It’s frustrating for the teachers and the kids and the parents,” Matlack said. “It’s been a frustrating time for everyone in education.”
Officials in districts that were forced to take out loans are concerned about interest they will need to pay, an unanticipated expense they do not expect to be reimbursed for.
Reading School District entered into a $90 million tax and anticipation note, advancing $10 million on Nov. 7 to pay salaries and other necessities. The BCIU has secured $17 million in loans and was in the process of obtaining another $10 million when the state budget passed.
Some districts that didn’t need to take out loans, including Muhlenberg School District, reported having to tap into reserved funding.
“We’re relying on what we have budgeted and our reserves, which means we’ll lose the interest we would have earned on those dollars,” said Dr. Joseph Macharola, Muhlenberg Superintendent.
And while a budget has finally been passed, it’s likely it will take some time for funding to trickle down to school districts and allow for normal operations.
Children participate in activity in an early childhood classroom operated by the Berks County Intermediate Unit.
Funding Cuts, Budget Delays and Government Shutdowns are Bad for Education
Even with the passing of the state budget and reopening of the federal government, educators and administrators remain on edge.
That causes frustration among district officials, who work hard to get their budgets submitted to the state by June 30, as required.
The uncertainty associated with cuts and funding delays causes a high level of anxiety, which eventually can affect daily operations.
Lellig summed up the situation like this.
“Repeated budget cuts and delayed funding weaken the quality of public education by increasing class size, reducing programming and straining teachers and resources. Over time, these issues widen inequities between districts and harm student learning and overall outcomes,” Lellig wrote.
Dr. Khalid Mumin, superintendent of the Reading School District and former Pennsylvania Secretary of Education, noted that public education is experiencing a time of significant change, but will continue moving forward to serve students, families and communities.
“It’s like a cruise liner that has to keep moving forward, even though the seas are a little rocky,” Mumin said. “Education will keep moving forward and we’ll continue to serve the young people, who are our future.”
Volunteers participate in a fundraising event at Gov. Mifflin’s Athletic Community Center. School districts increasingly rely on outside sources of funding for activities and programs.
Richie Santiago spends five or six hours on most weekdays at the Circle of Friends Drop-In Center on North Fifth Street in Reading, playing pool, chatting with friends, enjoying home-cooked meals and helping staff members with cleanup chores.
“I’m from New Jersey and don’t have any family here,” said Richie, who lives near the center. “If I didn’t have this place to come to it would hurt. This place benefits me a lot.”
Richie is one of about 235 people served annually by the center, which is run by Community Prevention Partnership/CHOR, an agency that provides a variety of prevention services in Berks and Schuylkill counties.
Richie Santiago helps clean up after a Halloween party at the Circle of Friends Drop-In Center on North Fifth Street.
According to Barbara Werner, executive director of Community Prevention Partnership, the Circle of Friends Drop-In Center, which serves people living with chronic mental health conditions, lives up to its name.
“It provides clients with a circle of support,” Werner explained. “Not everyone has a support system they can lean on when something goes wrong, but the center gives them that.”
Sadly, the future of Circle of Friends is not guaranteed.
CHOR-Youth and Family Services has been forced to pick up the tab because Block Grant money is stalled due to Pennsylvania’s budget impasse, a stalemate that has prevented many agencies from receiving expected funding since July.
“We are able to keep the center operating for now because we’re part of a larger organization,” Werner said. “But I’m not sure that CHOR’s funding can go on indefinitely.”
Having to shut down the center, she said, would be extremely detrimental to clients.
“The center helps meet people’s basic needs. We provide meals and social activities and a shower and laundry facilities,” she said. “That all helps keep our clients as mentally and physically stable as possible.”
“As of now, we haven’t heard of any of these agencies having to shut down, but we know that some are having to cut services and are worried about how long they can continue operating,” Seaman said. “Those Block Grant funds support a lot of services.”
An inspirational bulletin board created by clients at the Circle of Friends Drop-In Center.
Both programs have been very successful over long periods of time, he explained, and discontinuing them is not an option.
“The people we serve would be homeless,” Michalik said. “We’re not going to let that happen.”
While the programs are continuing to operate, Michalik has put off making upgrades and improvements to some of the group homes and is looking at the possibility of having to seek a line of credit.
“If we need to do that, we’ll have to use money from some of our programming to pay the interest on the loan,” he said. “We’ve been told that we won’t get reimbursed for the cost of interest.”
Clients line up at a food truck at the Circle of Friends Drop-In Center.
Four Months is ‘Long Enough’
Funding stoppages caused by the state budget impasse may be causing long-lasting damage, but the lack of a state budget also is causing short-term problems, according to Berks County Commissioner Michael S. Rivera.
“We have no idea how much money the county will be getting this year,” Rivera said. “We’re guessing and hoping we’ll get at least as much as last year, but we just don’t know.”
That makes it nearly impossible to enter contracts or plan for future spending.
Berks County has reserve funds that are enabling it to continue operations but is losing money it would have earned as interest on those reserves.
In addition, there is uncertainty over federal funding sources other than through the Block Grant program.
“That’s also a day-to-day process of trying to figure out what might happen,” Rivera said.
While Michalik said he takes no sides on the issue of the budget impasse, he is surprised that state legislators have been unable or unwilling to work together to pass a spending bill.
“I don’t know what they’re thinking, but this is like a perfect storm that agencies are struggling to weather,” he said. “I think that four months is long enough.”
