1 School Director Voted Against Bensalem Budget Hike

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — The Bensalem Township School Board adopted a 4.2 percent property tax hike for the 2026–27 school year, ending an enduring "severe financial crisis."

Faced with a $6 million deficit, the Bensalem School Board took action by eliminating over 30 staff positions — including nine administrative roles and nearly two dozen instructional staff — and drew $1.9 million from its fund balance to help close the deficit.

While the Democrat-controlled school board worked to get their financial house in order, one school director broke from party ranks.

That was School Board Vice President Stephanie A. Gonzalez Ferrandez.

"I felt I had no choice but to vote against the budget," she told Patch.

Gonzalez Ferrandez said that negative information about the budget having been withheld from the board until December left only months to scramble to try to balance a multimillion-dollar deficit.

She said that the new interim administration and school board worked very hard to increase efficiency and make cuts that would not disturb programs.

But by June, those actions were not enough to balance the budget, even with a tax increase, Gonzalez Ferrandez added.

A nearly $2 million dip into savings — savings dwindled to almost nothing by past majority boards — was required to balance the budget.

"As painful as it would have been, in my mind the only prudent business decision required more cuts and efficiencies," she said. "My colleagues on the board voted for the drawdown on savings, optimistic that we can find some more revenue and efficiencies this coming year. I truly hope they’re right."