Morrisville May Suspend Schools Amid Budget Impasse

Morrisville Borough School District in Bucks County — about 900 students — warned it may temporarily suspend all operations beginning Jan. 30, 2026 unless the Pennsylvania legislature passes a budget to release state funding withheld since August. Superintendent Dr. Andrew Doster said the district depends on state aid for more than half its operating budget, is running with less than half of its annual revenue, has delayed payments and frozen spending, and would halt in-person and virtual instruction, transportation, food service, athletics, arts and support services if funds do not arrive. That threat mirrors statewide strain from a nearly four-month budget impasse — Pennsylvania’s 13th late budget in 20 years — that has forced districts to cut programs, freeze hiring, take costly loans and delay capital projects. Charter schools and some districts are tapping fund balances, drawing on credit lines or withholding tuition payments to charters, and education leaders warn more districts will reach a tipping point without a resolved budget. Gov. Josh Shapiro has met with top lawmakers and a deal remains possible, but superintendents say only an approved budget will avert school closures and broader service disruptions.