How underfunded PA school districts are spending new state money
Pennsylvania’s new school funding formula, adopted in 2024 after a Commonwealth Court school funding ruling found the state’s reliance on local property taxes unconstitutional, is beginning to reshape how districts allocate resources, though financial pressures persist. The formula identified a $4.5 billion adequacy gap across most of the state’s 500 districts; lawmakers have directed $1 billion toward that need over the past two budgets, with Gov. Josh Shapiro proposing an additional $565 million. A report from Teach Plus Pennsylvania found districts are primarily using the funds to boost academic performance and expand full-day kindergarten, while also supporting STEM programs, English learners and rising charter school payments. In the Philadelphia region, Downingtown and Pennridge used new funding to move from half-day to full-day kindergarten programs. Some districts report improved outcomes, including higher graduation rates and reduced behavioral issues, but others say the funding is largely offsetting inflation, expiring federal aid and mandated costs. Ongoing fiscal strain remains evident, with districts such as School District of Philadelphia facing deficits and borrowing to maintain operations, even as charter schools see increased per-pupil funding tied to district spending.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/23/2026

Inside the retail revolution transforming Philly’s 17 area malls
Some media outlets have asked whether the American mall is dying. In the Philadelphia area, at least, that doesn’t seem to be the case — some are thriving. The Philadelphia Inquirer analyzed the shifting culture of 17 mall sites across the region. Read more here.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/25/2026

Township supervisors urge colleagues to adopt zoning for data centers
Township supervisors across Pennsylvania are urging their peers to proactively update local zoning ordinances to regulate data centers before development proposals arrive, a lesson learned the hard way by places like Upper Merion Township, where a developer submitted nearly a dozen data center proposals just days before new zoning rules were set for approval — meaning the incoming regulations couldn't apply to those projects. Supervisors from communities including Upper Merion have traveled at their own expense to Loudoun County, Virginia — the so-called "Data Center Capital of the World" — to see the facilities firsthand and gather insight on regulation. Read more from the Pennsylvania Capital-Star.
Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star; 4/21/2026

NAR backs broadband bills that support housing growth, rural access
The National Association of Realtors (NAR) supports the U.S. House’s approval of three measures that will boost housing infrastructure in underserved areas and create new options for community development. The effort reflects growing recognition in Washington that reliable broadband is no longer a luxury; it’s essential infrastructure that shapes economic opportunity, community development and housing demand across the country. Read more about the specific bills at the NAR website.
Source: NAR; 4/28/2026

PA Human Relations Commission’s future is uncertain
The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, a decades-old civil rights enforcement body, faces operational uncertainty after recent resignations reduced its membership below the quorum needed to conduct business and its executive director announced plans to step down amid a state review of agency spending. The departures leave the commission unable to advance guidance, hear cases or launch certain investigations. No new appointments have been made by Gov. Josh Shapiro since he took office, drawing questions from lawmakers and advocates. The agency, which handles thousands of discrimination complaints annually and must approve cases before they proceed to court, plays a key role alongside the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Lawmakers are now considering changes, including increased oversight of leadership and adjustments to filing timelines, as officials and advocates stress the need to restore the commission’s capacity to enforce civil rights protections.
Source: Pennsylvania Capital-Star; 4/27/2026 

Newtown Borough proposals could add hundreds of apartments
Newtown Borough could see a dramatic transformation of its housing landscape if two high-end apartment proposals by local developer and Newtown Athletic Club owner Jim Worthington win municipal approval. The first, called Liberty Centre, would bring 125 luxury apartments to an eight-acre site along Newtown Creek behind South Street, featuring a private fitness center, rooftop gathering spaces, underground parking and a 15,000-square-foot public plaza designed to host markets, concerts and festivals. The second proposal calls for 308 units in two four-story buildings on a 15.8-acre, mixed-use site at 661 Penn St., complete with a parking garage and nearly 59,000 square feet of public space. Together, the 433 units would increase the borough's apartment stock by roughly 367% — a striking shift for a community where apartments currently make up just 12% of nearly 1,000 total housing units — and follow a broader Bucks County trend that has already added 849 luxury units in Langhorne and Doylestown, where monthly rents range from around $2,000 for studios to over $4,200 for two-bedroom units.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 4/28/2026

Bensalem Township School District eyes significant job cuts due to budget woes
Facing a nearly $12 million budget shortfall, the Bensalem Township School Board voted to eliminate 31 positions for the 2026-2027 school year, including elementary teachers, special education teachers, librarians, guidance counselors and nine administrative roles. Board members expressed deep reluctance but said they had no alternative given the district's statutory obligation to pass a balanced budget. The cuts, along with bond restructuring and other savings measures, still leave a roughly $2.7 million gap to close before a preliminary budget vote required by Wednesday, May 27. Board members ruled out further staff reductions, meaning the remaining savings will need to come from structural changes. Ideas floated include potentially closing or renting out the high school pool, reviewing underused software contracts, and reassessing costs for crossing guards and school resource officers. The district has just over a month to find a solution.
Source: Bucks County Courier Times; 4/23/2026

Solebury considers allowing farmers to offer workforce housing
Solebury Township is considering a new ordinance that would allow farmers to provide affordable, on-farm housing for their agricultural workers, a move supporters say is necessary to keep farming economically viable in the township. Supervisor Kevin Morrissey argued that modern farming bears little resemblance to earlier decades and that enabling farm owners and workers to live on the land is a critical tool for preserving Solebury's rural character — noting that a sustainable farming lifestyle requires updated regulations that reflect today's agricultural realities.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/24/2026

Jet fuel discovered in another Upper Makefield well
Jet fuel has been detected in another private well in Upper Makefield's Mount Eyre area, where a Sunoco pipeline leak was discovered last year after going undetected for more than 16 months. A monitoring well used by the pipeline companies also tested positive for jet fuel on April 1. At least a dozen residential wells in the area have now shown contamination from jet fuel or related chemicals like benzene, and the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection says any such contamination must be addressed since there is no acceptable limit for jet fuel in groundwater. Township Manager Gregg Schuster said the new findings were not unexpected given what is known about the pipeline release and indicated that Energy Transfer still has significant remediation work ahead. The leak was originally discovered not through the companies' detection systems, but by consulting old records and excavating a section of pipe that had been repaired in the 1990s.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/24/2026

Nockamixon takes aim at data centers
Concerned about power outages and rising electricity costs — both familiar problems for local residents — Nockamixon Township supervisors unanimously authorized a new zoning ordinance that would place strict requirements on any data centers seeking to operate there, including limits on noise, heat, smoke and dust emissions beyond property lines, a requirement to keep heat emissions below 20% during cold weather, and mandatory verification of adequate grid capacity backed by an independent energy assessment. Most notably, data center operators would be held financially responsible for any increases in residents' electricity bills for a full decade — an unusually aggressive consumer protection measure at the local level.
Source: Bucks County Herald; 4/28/2026 

Kennett Square looks to limit short-term rentals
Kennett Square Borough Council will consider a revised short-term rentals ordinance that seeks to balance tourism concerns with maintaining a supply of attainable housing for young or first-time buyers. The draft ordinance, developed after residents grew concerned about several homes becoming full-time, short-term rentals, would establish that short-term rentals can only be in accessory dwelling units — like above a garage or in a guest house — within residential districts, with a limit of one short-term rental on the property at a time. Short-term rentals would be allowed as a principal use in the commercial district. The proposal also recommends a cap of 20 throughout the borough, with the roughly 25 existing short-term rentals grandfathered in.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/29/2026 

Demand for housing remains high in Chester County
Chester County saw some of the highest population growth in Pennsylvania between 2020 and 2024, and demand for housing is outpacing supply. Fewer single-family detached homes were built in 2024 than in the past several years, according to the county’s planning commission, and fewer new units were being constructed this decade compared to last. Meanwhile, costs are going up. In 2024, sales hit a median of $525,000 — the highest in the county’s history. That year, 331 homes sold for under $250,000, a decrease of 5.9% from 462 units in 2023. The desire for more housing often comes into conflict with what residents want. In several cases, proposals from developers for high-density housing in places across the county have resulted in townships purchasing the land to preserve it as open space instead.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/29/2026

Kennett school board approves preliminary budget
The Kennett Consolidated School Board approved a final 2026-2027 preliminary budget of $112 million, which includes a proposed tax increase of 3.7% for property owners. Although the final vote on the item is not formally mandated until the June meeting, the board accepted what was deemed the “final” budget because they have now received notification of all the state and federal funds that need to be calculated in the figures. State support is up, but federal support is down by about 6%. Given the 3.7% increase, the average property owner in the district whose property is assessed at about $180,000 will pay $6,553 in school property taxes, which is $233 more than last year.
Source: Chester County Press; 4/16/2026

Coatesville schools propose $257M budget with 6% spending increase, $12.6M deficit
Coatesville Area School District is proposing a $256.8 million budget for the 2026-2027 school year, a 6.09% increase over the current spending plan, driven largely by rising costs for professional services, debt payments, salaries, and charter school and transportation expenses, officials said at an April 14 board meeting. The plan projects a $12.6 million deficit, though administrators said they hope to avoid using fund balance reserves. The board previously capped any potential tax increase at no more than the state’s Act 1 index of 4.5%, though the exact impact on property taxes remains unclear. Final budget approval is required by June 30.
Source: Lancaster Online; 4/22/2026

Westtown residents push back on potential commercial use at Crebilly Preserve
Residents in Westtown Township are continuing efforts to preserve the 206-acre Crebilly Farm as open space, voicing opposition at a recent public meeting to any potential commercial development tied to updates in the township’s comprehensive plan. Officials emphasized there are no current plans to rezone the preserve and said concerns were fueled by misinformation, though proposed guidance could allow limited mixed-use development on a separate, two-acre parcel containing the historic Darlington Inn. The township plans to auction the building for adaptive reuse, citing maintenance costs and grant requirements, but residents urged greater community input.
Source: Philadelphia Inquirer; 4/25/2026 

Roadway construction continues on Route 23 in Phoenixville area
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced that roadway construction will continue on a project to improve safety along Route 23 (Schuylkill Road/Nutt Road/Valley Forge Road). The project, which is expected to last into November, spans from Route 724 (Schuylkill Road) to Whitehorse Road in East Pikeland and Schuylkill townships, and Phoenixville Borough. Drivers are advised to allow extra time when traveling near the work area because backups and delays will occur.
Source: Daily Local; 4/28/2026