Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

Mvk5945@psu.ed 

On September 29, 2022 Erie Public Schools, EPS, made history by being the first school district in Pennsylvania to ever be removed from the state’s Financial Watchlist. EPS were placed under financial watch status in 2016, and have made great efforts in the last few years to work with the state and facilitate their removal from the list. 

Financial watch status triggers a process in which the district is required to work with the Department of Education in order to solve their financial issues. According to a press release issued by Gov. Wolf’s office, key elements of the financial improvement plan for EPS included:

• standardizing and replacing outdated curriculum across all grade levels and subject areas
• hiring staff to support students in English language arts and math
• hiring teachers for art, music, and physical education classes in buildings where these programs had been reduced in previous years

James Ohrn was appointed Financial Administrator of the EPS’ recovery efforts this year in order to assist with overseeing, developing and implementing the district’s financial improvement plan.

“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,” said Ohrn.

Governor Wolf and Department of Education Acting Secretary Eric Hagarty traveled to Strong Vincent Middle School in order to issue the removal announcement on Sept. 29. “I am immensely proud of Erie’s Public Schools, and the years of work leaders have dedicated to improving their financial health,” said Gov. Wolf. “Their removal from this designation today marks the first time in the commonwealth a district has been removed from Financial Watch status. It is a monumental accomplishment. 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.”