State Rep. Tomlinson Blasted Over Bensalem School Budget Crisis

BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — The Democratic challenger in the 18th Legislative District has called out State Rep. Kathleen "K.C." Tomlinson in the wake of the school district's "severe financial crisis."

Democratic challenger Bryan Allen held a press conference this week at the Bensalem Township School District administration building to discuss the "growing multi-million dollar budget deficit and the mounting pressure that the state’s outdated special education and charter reimbursement formulas have placed on local taxpayers and public schools."

Allen — who was joined by educators, community members, and local leaders — highlighted how the district’s current
$17 million budget deficit has been driven in large part by rising mandated costs and a broken state funding structure that fails to reimburse schools based on the actual needs of students receiving services.

“K.C. (Tomlinson) made and broke the same promises again and again, dangling memos promising remedies in front of concerned parents and educators, but never introduced the actual legislation needed to fix the problem,” Allen said. “Our district now faces a $17 million deficit. Had K.C. taken necessary action years ago, we would not all be paying such a high price today.”

Allen said funding schools is personal for him as a father of three children in the Bensalem school system.

“When I am elected, one of my first actions will be to introduce a package of reforms to fix this broken funding system and ensure schools are reimbursed based on the actual needs of students,” Allen said. “I am ready to step up to get the job done where others have failed to even try.”

Allen — who is running on the Democratic ticket in the May primary election — serves as vice chairman of the Bucks County Water & Sewer Authority Board, president of the Friends of Silver Lake Nature Center, and previously as a two-term Bensalem Township councilman.

(Bryan Allen)