If you’re wondering why your property taxes keep climbing while your school district talks about cuts, the answer is in the numbers.
Our investigation published earlier today revealed how Pennsylvania’s charter school funding formula is draining Bensalem’s budget. Here are the five numbers that tell the story:
70%
The Percentage of Tax Increases Going to Charter School Special Education Since 2021
That’s right: seven out of every ten dollars in property tax increases you’ve paid since 2021 went to one thing—funding charter school special education costs under Pennsylvania’s PDE-363 formula.
Not teacher salaries. Not new programs. Not building improvements. Charter school payments.
What this means for you: When you see that 8.25% tax increase proposal, understand that most of it isn’t going to improve your neighborhood school—it’s mandated by state law to go to charter schools.
$42,000
What Bensalem Pays Per Special Education Student at Charter Schools
Under Pennsylvania law, Bensalem must pay charter schools a flat rate of up to $42,000 for EVERY student classified as special education—regardless of what services that student actually needs.
A child receiving minimal speech therapy? $42,000.
A child with severe disabilities requiring intensive support? $42,000.
The charter keeps the difference between what they receive and what they spend.
What this means for you: Your tax dollars are subsidizing a system that creates financial incentives to classify students for special education, even when they need minimal services.
51
The Number of Students One Charter Added to Special Education in Just Four Months
According to data presented at the January 14th school board meeting, one local charter school’s special education enrollment jumped from 58 students to 109 students in approximately four months.
Board President Stephanie Ferrandez called this increase “statistically unlikely.”
What this means for you: That 51-student spike triggers an additional $2.1 million per year in mandatory payments from Bensalem taxpayers. Every year. Forever. Unless the students leave or the law changes.
$9.5 Million
How Much Bensalem’s Financial Reserves Have Dropped
The district’s fund balance has plummeted from $13 million in 2020 to a projected $3.5 million this year.
Why? Charter and special education costs increased by $16.2 million over five years, while the previous board relied on temporary COVID relief funds (ESSER) to mask the structural deficit. Those funds expired in September 2024.
What this means for you: The new school board elected in November 2025 inherited a depleted reserve fund and a crisis they didn’t create. They’re now the ones who have to make painful cuts while charter invoices keep arriving with the force of law behind them.
Zero
The Number of Times the School Board Can Refuse to Pay Charter School Bills
Here’s the kicker: By state law, Bensalem must pay these charter school invoices. The board cannot negotiate the rates. They cannot refuse payment.
If they don’t pay, the Pennsylvania Treasury can redirect state subsidies directly to the charter schools—meaning Bensalem loses the money anyway.
The only entity that can fix this? The Pennsylvania Legislature in Harrisburg.
What this means for you: Your elected school board is powerless to solve this problem. Only state-level charter funding reform can stop the bleeding.
What You Can Do
- Attend the February 18th preliminary budget meeting and make your voice heard
- Contact State Representative K.C. Tomlinson (18th District) and demand charter school funding reform
- Bensalem Office: 215-750-1017
- Email: Use the contact form at reptomlinson.com
- Stay informed as this story develops—Check in with Bensalem Weekly for updates
The Bottom Line
Bensalem isn’t facing a budget crisis because of wasteful spending or poor management. The district is trapped in a state-mandated funding system that:
- Forces them to pay flat rates regardless of actual costs
- Creates financial incentives for charter schools to maximize special education classifications
- Provides no mechanism for districts to negotiate or refuse payment
- Can only be fixed by the state legislature
Your school board can cut technology, freeze hiring, and eliminate programs. But they cannot stop the charter school invoices from arriving.
Until Harrisburg reforms the PDE-363 formula, Bensalem taxpayers are essentially pouring money into a bucket with a massive, state-mandated hole in the bottom.
READ THE FULL INVESTIGATION: The $6.5 Million Leak: Is a Flawed Funding Loophole Bankrupting Bensalem Schools?
RELATED:
