What’s the 422?

Tim Anspach, business administrator for the Spring-Ford Area School District, is awaiting an important delivery this month from Harrisburg.

The state owes this school district $3.9 million in “back money” from July, August and September, Anspach said during a recent interview.

Payments and subsidies from Harrisburg have been held up because state lawmakers could not agree on a new budget. That officially ended Oct. 9, when Gov. Ed Rendell signed into law a $27.8 billion spending plan for 2009-10.

Of Spring-Ford’s $120 million budget for this school year, 17 percent (or just over $21 million) is expected to come from state sources. Most revenue is generated locally through property taxes.

“I don’t know what they’re doing,” Anspach said in response to a question about priority payments.

“I would think all of them would be considered priority,” he said.

State dollars help pay for basic and special education, transportation, as well as the salaries and benefits of district employees.

The state spending plan boosts the basic education funding formula by $300 million, the largest increase in Pennsylvania’s history, according to a Rendell press release.

Even though this year’s budget scare is now history, Anspach worries about future years. He’s been reading about a looming “tsunami” in 2012-13, which might crash down as a result problems with the state educators’ retirement system (PSERS).

Add to that the overall economic recession, decreasing property values and a new construction slowdown in previously booming Upper Providence and Limerick townships.

“It will be more challenging each year. No question,” Anspach said.

“We have not seen the worst yet … We’re all hoping the recession is over and we’re moving forward now,” Anspach said. “The future is so cloudy. You can’t rely on past trends.”