The state’s budget impasse isn’t hurting the Warren County School District – yet.

But that will change the longer the budget deadlock continues, possibly as soon as this week, according to Gary Weber, Warren County School District superintendent.

“I would say that we are in a better position than most right now,” Weber said in an email to the Times Observer last week. “If we go past this week (end of September) without a budget, we are most likely looking at having to move some of our investments into the general fund to pay bills. This will not last long and at some point, will force us to have to borrow. We are only approving necessary expenditures at this point and after this week that will have to tighten up even more.”

Rural school districts aren’t in a position to withstand a months-long budget stalemate, even if school funding is one of the sticking points. The last thing state lawmakers should want to see is their local school districts having to borrow money to make ends meet while state legislators fiddle their days away dealing with anything but the budget. School districts and counties around the state are being asked to provide state-mandated services without the state’s share of funding for those services.

State lawmakers on both sides have made their points. Now it’s time to move past their talking points and arrive at a compromise.

Democrats aren’t going to get all of the new spending they wanted. Republicans aren’t going to get as tight a budget as they want.

It’s time for legislative leadership in Harrisburg to lead. Unlike states where policy matters get in the way of a budget deal, this legislative disagreement is about dollars and cents.

Republicans and Democrats should be able to do the math at this point and realize their stalemate is hurting the people who just re-elected last November to continue serving.