Bensalem Township School District is facing a “severe” financial crisis after overspending its 2024-2025 budget by nearly $4 million. District officials must now consider deep spending cuts or tax increases beyond the state cap. District leaders say bills tied to special education and charter tuition alone exceeded projections by about $7 million, driven in part by a dramatic increase in special education students reported by School Lane Charter School, which significantly raised the district’s required payments even as overall charter enrollment declined. John Steffy, head of business operations, questioned the number of special needs students at the charter school and reminded the board that the district cannot audit the charter students’ special education plans. Officials warned that even a tax hike exceeding 8% would still leave the district millions of dollars in deficit for 2026-2027. Bensalem is holding a special budget meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 2/9/2026