With the impending shortfall to funding of schools and the lack of clarity with sales tax revenues to help support schools, there is a tsunami on the horizon not just for Lancaster residents but state wide school districts. Doomsday forecasts for school funding must have superintendents and business mangers of the districts shaking in their boots. The answer will lie in leadership and sound fiscal management keeping operating programs to those deemed vital and review to possible hiatus or removal of those programs deemed a luxury. The state must provide mandate relief as well to help districts have less to fund as well.

Times are tough and all must be aware of impending sacrifice. Like the community the districts are in, the taxpayers of that community have suffered greatly from job losses, furloughs and relative uncertainty as to what happens next. No guarantees that jobs will be returning in many circles. It is my hope that all members within the districts payroll, realize this community pain and be willing to accept what leadership and budget managers propose as way to balance their books, keeping a weary taxpayer constituency in mind when asked for cost reductions and dare I say it.. a freeze at least in current contractual obligations in all salaries. This should be asked of from all players across the board including superintendents, support staffs and educators. It will be very interesting to see how the taxpaying public will be asked to shoulder their share of the new burden against the impending increases to contracts that are currently in place. IMHO --all spending should be frozen to 2019-20 school levels at base minimum.

I trust that the great administrators and stewards of our tax dollars will take a hard look at how to balance hits to wallets of the community while taking a hard look at programs and contractual obligations that could be reviewed. This crisis will force the districts across the states to re-examine school programs that can be suspended for a time and that employees share in same sacrifice that the rest of the state's population has experienced.