Homeless Student Population Rising At Centennial

WARMINSTER, PA —Centennial Schools Superintendent Dana Bedden is calling on lawmakers to help fund education as his district witnesses a rise in homeless and English language learning students over the past few years.

Bedden joined several Bucks County schools superintendents for a forum, sponsored by Children First, called "Superintendents to Legislature: Support Our Students, Fund Our Schools" Thursday at William Tennent High School.

"I stand before you to ask for help. I am here today, not intending to blame or point fingers, but for the sake of the approximately 1.7 million students in our K-12 system, to ask our Commonwealth to ensure every student receives the funds necessary to achieve as close as possible to their potential," Bedden said in his statement provided to Patch.

Bedden discussed a Commonwealth Court Judge's ruling in February that Pennsylvania's school funding system was unconstitutional and must be reformed.

In the 786-page decision, the court found, "All witnesses agree that every child can learn. It is now the obligation of the Legislature, Executive Branch, and educators to make the constitutional promise a reality in this Commonwealth," Bedden said during his remarks.

The court order calls for the "respondents, comprised of the Executive and Legislative branches of government and administrative agencies with expertise in the field of education, the first opportunity, in conjunction with Petitioners, to devise a plan to address the constitutional deficiency identified herein."

"I can tell you that our current system is inadequate," said Bedden, in stating that he has served more than 30 years as a school district administrator in both wealthy and low-income areas including York City, Exeter Township, the School District of Philadelphia, William Penn School District, Boyertown Area School District. "The quality of education one receives is too heavily dependent on the zip code one lives in."

Similar to the May 17, 1954, decision with Brown v. Board of Education, Bedden told those at the forum that critical ideals shared by Chief Justice Earl Warren regarding education are still relevant today. They include:

• "Education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments."
• "Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society."
• "It is required in the performance of our most basic public responsibilities. • “It is the very foundation of good citizenship."
• "In these days, it is doubtful that any child may reasonably be expected to succeed in life if he is denied the opportunity of an education."
• "Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right, which must be made available to all on equal terms."

The effort to better fund schools must begin as soon as possible because our students need additional resources not dependent on the property's value in the local school district.

The financial needs continue to grow with the cost of state mandates such as the following:

• 35 percent of salaries go towards state-mandated PSERS costs.
• Almost 75 percent of school revenue comes from local taxpayers.

"The growing financial cost to meet the needs of the fast-changing and diverse student population, which now represents 48 countries and almost 40 languages spoken, means increased service demands," he said.

For the Centennial School District, Bedden said that the ELL student population has grown from 8 percent and stands at nearly 15 percent.

He also said the district's homeless student population has grown from about 38 students to more than 100 in two years.

Bedden added that ESSER funds are ending, which will be a major loss for the school district since 92.6 percent of that money has funded such programs as extended learning programs for elementary school students, instructional coaches, a teaching specialist, a virtual learning academy, social-emotional learning staff and programs, and having more behavioral and mental health staff.

"If you think education costs, consider the cost of ignorance," Bedden concluded.