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Our Opinion

Our opinion: Special ed needs more attention

Unfunded mandates, products of the federal and state governments, do not sit well with local-level units of government. Neither do those mandates sit well with school districts and institutions of higher learning, especially as they are trying to prepare and balance new budget packages. Depending on the scope of such a mandate, an unfunded or weakly funded edict can wreak havoc on the most well-thought-out of spending plans, not only for a year but possibly extending far beyond. Why is it a good time to be reflecting on budget challenges, especially in regard to ...

Our opinion: Tax credit may not work for county

In theory a proposal by Republicans in the state Senate that would allow families to use a tax credit to enroll their child in private schools makes a lot of sense. Senate Bill 1280 would establish the Child Learning Investment Tax Credit, worth up to $8,000 per student, that families could use to reduce their tax liability and cover educational expenses, including private school tuition. The idea, particularly in bigger cities where there are more private schools, is that parents should be able to enroll their child in the school of their choice, with their “share” of state tax ...

Our Opinion: Wind project protections are necessary

It was only a matter of time before a large-scale wind developer decided Warren County was a good place to site a wind farm. After all, we share a border with New York state, which has been investing heavily in wind energy for years. But, if there are incentives available in Pennsylvania, an area that is typically a less expensive place for development projects than New York, the time was coming when a wind farm would be proposed here. We share many of the same characteristics that have made New York attractive for wind developers without the burdensome New York regulations and wage ...

Our opinion: School funding reform an issue

Projections by the state’s Independent Fiscal Office foresee the burden of school districts’ property taxes growing by 4% to 4.8% from 2025 to 2026, according to reporting by The Center Square. While we hope these forecasts are the wake-up call our state government needs to prioritize reforms to how public schools in Pennsylvania are funded, we are unfortunately pessimistic. After all, court rulings that the property-tax structure Pennsylvania has long used is unconstitutional in its disparity have not prompted, in our view, the serious conversation our state’s families and ...

Our opinion: Don’t create a bigger cell issue

School districts across the nation are banning the use of cell phones in classrooms. Should Warren County? It depends, frankly, on what teachers say. Gary Weber, district superintendent, said the Warren County School District has been all over the map in recent years when it comes to cell phones in classrooms. The district’s current policy, in a nutshell, allows the superintendent or a superintendent’s designee to decide which devices are allowed in school. Teachers can allow students to use cell phones in class if it is for an educational purpose - but otherwise the ...

Our opinion: Parties have to find a compromise

It’s been 10 years since Pennsylvania’s voter identification system was ruled unconstitutional by Judge Bernard McGinley. A decade later, and Republicans and Democrats are still fighting over voter ID. State Rep. Kathy Rapp, R-Warren, recently complained that Democrats aren’t allowing Republicans to bring a bill to the floor for consideration that would place the issue on the ballot for voters to decide the issue. She blames House rules that require 25 House members from each party to sign a discharge petition to bring a bill to the floor. The blame, in our view, is a bit ...