TIONESTA: The Secure Rural Schools program, which allocates millions of dollars to rural counties and school districts nationwide, including Forest County in Pennsylvania, is awaiting Congressional reauthorization, putting future funding at risk.

Amanda Hetrick, the superintendent of Forest Area School District in northwestern Pennsylvania, explained that Secure Rural Schools funding typically arrives in May, but this year, she doesn’t anticipate receiving it. "The impact is that we’ll have a significant gap in the budget," Hetrick remarked.

Last year, the program provided over $700,000 to the district. Although they will receive some funding through alternative channels, it will only cover about a third of what they had expected. Hetrick indicated that the district would rely on its budget reserves to bridge the gap, but this reserve accounts for about 5% of the school district's overall revenue. If the funding doesn't materialize next year, it will likely result in spending cuts. "It will depend on the board's priorities when reviewing the budget, but if cuts are necessary, we may have to reduce staff, programs, or services, which unfortunately affects the students," Hetrick added.

The Secure Rural Schools and Community Self-Determination Act was passed in 2000, and since then, it has directed $7 billion in funding to over 700 counties and 4,400 school districts across the U.S. The program is designed to support schools, roads, and public services in areas with large amounts of federally-owned, tax-exempt land. Typically, the act is reauthorized every two years, but it was not renewed last year.

In Forest County, nearly half of the land is designated as national and state forests, and the county receives over $100,000 annually from the program. County Commissioner Bob Snyder noted that the funding is crucial for supporting Penn State Cooperative Extension services, including office space and staff. While the county might manage without the funding for one year, Snyder cautioned that, "If this funding is discontinued permanently, we can probably sustain operations for a year, but after that, our options will be limited."

Forest County is one of the four counties that make up the Allegheny National Forest. Of these, only Forest County participates in the Secure Rural Schools funding program, while the others opt for receiving 25% of timber sale revenues.

Julia McCray, executive director of the Allegheny Forest Alliance, pointed out that one township in Forest County relies on national forest funding for 85% to 90% of its revenue. When Secure Rural Schools funding was not reauthorized in 2016, it caused significant financial strain. "They had layoffs, postponed road maintenance, and some staff experienced pay cuts," McCray recounted. "It was a major setback."

In November, the U.S. Senate passed a bill to reauthorize Secure Rural Schools funding. The act has now been reintroduced in both the Senate and House. McCray noted that the proposed legislation includes provisions to cover the gap between the 25% payment and the full amount districts and counties would have received.

"The challenge is when this reauthorization will happen and how long the schools and communities will have to wait for the additional funding," McCray said.

Representative Glenn "GT" Thompson, a sponsor of the bill in the House, has been engaged in bipartisan discussions on the best approach, with his office stating that Secure Rural Schools remains a priority.

For Hetrick, the uncertainty surrounding education funding is already a significant concern. "We are facing potential cuts from multiple directions," she said. "This is the last thing we can afford at this point."