A student protest puts Bensalem High School in the spotlight, the charter school funding gets a deep dive, and we gave voters their first side-by-side look at the candidates for the 18th District race. If you’re following the budget crisis, the election, or what’s happening inside the schools, this was a week when all three converged.
The Big Stories
Student Walkout Plans Put Bensalem High in the Spotlight
Bensalem Schools | Student Activism | District Leadership
A planned student walkout over federal immigration enforcement puts Bensalem High School at the center of a growing national conversation.
- In Bensalem High Principal Responds to Planned Student Walkout, Principal Geoffrey Per addressed families after approximately 200 students raised the issue during a third-period meeting on Friday. Instead, offering them a supervised gymnasium forum on Tuesday instead of permitting students to leave the building, with consequences for anyone who walks out without permission.
The planned walkout follows similar demonstrations at other Bucks County high schools.
Charter Funding Explained — and Tomlinson’s Reform Claims Scrutinized
Bensalem Schools | Property Taxes | Charter Funding | State Legislature
The charter school funding formula — already the biggest single driver of the district’s proposed 8.26% property tax increase — was examined from two angles this week.
- How Pennsylvania’s Charter School Funding Formula Works broke down the state-mandated tuition calculation that requires districts like Bensalem to pay charter schools based on per-pupil costs, with special education rates that can exceed $40,000 per student.
- Fact-Checking Rep. Tomlinson’s Claims on Charter School Reform and Bensalem’s Budget Crisis examined the state representative’s public statements about her reform record. The analysis compared her claims against legislative voting records and advocacy group analysis — finding areas where her record holds up and areas where the picture is actually more complicated.
Together, these stories build on the budget reporting from the previous week by moving from “what’s happening” to “why it’s happening” and “who’s responsible.” As the district prepares for major budget votes, the charter funding structure remains the most consequential.
The 18th District Race Gets Its First Real Comparison
Local Elections | Harrisburg | School Funding | Taxes
After Bryan Allen’s campaign launch earlier this month, the 18th District race takes shape with three pieces that give voters a clearer picture of their choices.
- Meet Bryan Allen: Candidate for Bensalem’s 18th District State Representative profiled the challenger’s background and platform.
- Meet K.C. Tomlinson: Bensalem’s 18th District State Representative profiled the incumbent’s record and priorities.
- Bryan Allen vs. K.C. Tomlinson: How the Candidates Compare on Taxes, Schools & Local Issues put the two side by side on the issues that matter most locally.
The race’s outcome is becoming increasingly tied to the School District’s financial future, indirectly placing charter reform, school funding, and tax policy before voters. Both candidates will be watched more closely as the time for finalizing the budget approaches.
School District Developments
The district’s long-term plans showed up in committee meetings, giving us a look behind the scenes, way past the big drama of the past couple of weeks.
- Robotics Trip, Trades Recruitment & K–12 Counseling Plan – Feb 10th Instructional Affairs Meeting Recap highlighted career pathway expansion, including trade apprenticeship recruitment and a comprehensive K–12 counseling framework.
- Energy Projects, Grants & Summer Work – Feb 11th Business Committee Preview outlined upcoming infrastructure and facilities planning as the district navigates its capital priorities.
- Pennsylvania’s New Cursive Law: What Bensalem K–4 Parents Need to Know covered House Bill 17, which makes cursive instruction mandatory in every Pennsylvania elementary school — a statewide mandate that affects Bensalem classrooms starting this year.
This past week, it was business as usual for the district, a reminder that the everyday work keeps going even with all the noise from potential budget fights.
Township & Community Updates
- New Mosque Plans & Regional Police Grants Lead Bensalem Council Recap – Feb 9th covered zoning progress on a new mosque and updates on regional public safety funding.
- Who Actually Makes Decisions in Bensalem? provided a guide to the township’s boards, commissions, and governance structure — a useful explainer as civic interest grows around budget and development issues.
Public Safety
- Bensalem Police Seek 14 Individuals on Active Warrants This Week – Feb 11th updated the weekly warrant list, with drug charges again leading the categories.
The Big Picture
This week wasn’t just about individual stories. It was about connections.
A few big things went down in Bensalem last week: National politics got students organizing at school; a closer look at charter school funding started to heat up because it’s tied to a looming tax hike; and the results of the 18th District race suddenly matter a lot, since the winner will have a say in fixing the messed-up funding formula that caused all this.
Budget votes are approaching. Campaign season is accelerating. And for the first time, Bensalem residents have the information to follow all three threads — and see how they’re linked.
