March 10, 2022
BUCKS COUNTY – March 10, 2022 – State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and state Representatives Perry Warren (D-31) and John Galloway (D-140), announced today the School District of the Borough of Morrisville will receive $1 million in supplemental funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE).
“This funding for Morrisville School District helps meet a critical need to support the district in providing quality education to all students,” said Sen. Santarsiero. “As I have said many times before, we must increase funding for Morrisville School District by fixing the state funding formula which unfairly shortchanges the district. The $1 million in supplemental funding I’ve advocated for each year helps to close the gap, but it does not meet all of the district’s needs or fix the root cause of the shortfall. I will continue to work with my House colleagues to make those changes, because every student in Morrisville deserves access to a great education.”
The supplemental funding was needed to help the District overcome budget shortfalls created, in part, by the fact that for many years Morrisville has not received its fair share in funding from the state under Pennsylvania’s basic education funding formula.
“I’ve long said the smartest investment the state can make to secure a bright economic future is in the education of our young people,” Galloway said. “The funds will make a real impact in students’ lives by improving educational programs in the Morrisville School District.”
The funding comes from the Ready to Learn Block Grant, a program to enhance learning opportunities for students and provide resources for schools to innovate at the local level.
“The School District of the Borough of Morrisville has faced and risen to the challenges of the past few years. This Ready to Learn Grant will help the district continue and expand programs and learning opportunities for students,” said Rep. Warren. “Thank you to Rep. John Galloway and Sen. Steve Santarsiero and the members of the school board for working together to make this happen for Morrisville students.”
Since 2015, Morrisville School District and its elected officials in the Pennsylvania House and Senate, have worked with the Wolf administration to provide Morrisville School District with $1 million in supplemental funding each fiscal year.
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October 23, 2020
BUCKS COUNTY – October 23, 2020 – State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and state Representatives Perry Warren (D-31) and John Galloway (D-140), announced today that Morrisville Borough School District will receive $500,000 in supplemental funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE). In 2019, Senator Santarsiero and Representatives Warren and Galloway were able to secure an agreement by the state to provide the District with a total of $1 million in supplemental funding. The supplemental funding was needed to help the District overcome budget shortfalls created, in part, by the fact that for many years Morrisville has not received its fair share in funding from the state under Pennsylvania’s basic education funding formula. The first $500,000 of that money was released in 2019. This payment represents the remainder of the supplemental funding under that agreement.
“This funding for Morrisville School District helps meet a critical need to support the district in providing quality education to all students,” said Sen. Santarsiero. “These funds will ensure the district can continue to meet the needs of its students and faculty, as it works to protect the health and safety of its teachers and students amid the ongoing pandemic. As I have said many times before, I am a strong advocate for increasing funding for Morrisville School District by fixing the state funding formula which unfairly shortchanges the district. I will continue to work with my House colleagues to make those changes, because every student in Morrisville deserves access to a great education.”
“This supplemental funding is critical to maintaining Morrisville School’s staffing and services,” said Rep. Warren. “Superintendent Jason Harris and Board President Damon Miller have worked diligently with us to ensure that Morrisville students continue to receive a great education. This funding is more than a bandage, but we still need a comprehensive adjustment of state funding for the Morrisville School District, and Sen. Santarsiero, Rep. Galloway and I continue to work with the Governor’s office and PDE to achieve appropriate funding for Morrisville schools.”
“This grant money will provide critical aid to the Morrisville School District as it faces increased needs arising from the Covid-19 pandemic,” Galloway said. “At a time when both teachers and students are struggling to adapt to the challenges posed by the pandemic, this funding will provide greater access to the resources needed for both educators and students to succeed. We are all committed to providing Morrisville children with the best education possible.”
Since 2015, Morrisville School District and its elected officials in the Pennsylvania House and Senate, have been working with the administration of Governor Wolf to provide Morrisville’s schools with $1 million in supplemental funding each fiscal year to help close the gap. In May, Sen. Santarsiero and Reps. Warren and Galloway sent a letter to Governor Wolf requesting supplemental funding for Morrisville School District, while requesting a review of the funding formula used to allocate state funds to the district.
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August 17, 2020
BUCKS COUNTY – August 17, 2020 – State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10), along with Representatives Perry Warren (D-31), John Galloway (D-140), and Wendy Ullman (D-143) announced $1,763,403 in Small Water & Sewer Program grant funds through the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED), are coming to seven local municipalities.
The awards to local municipalities under the grant are:
- Doylestown Borough will receive $138,169 for its North Main Street Water Main Project,
- Bedminster Municipal Authority will receive $319,136 for its Stonebridge- Pennland Farms Water Systems Interconnection Project,
- Doylestown Township Municipal Authority will receive $157,065 for its South Water Tank Rehabilitation project,
- Falls Township Authority will receive $452,834, with $215,036 going to its Penn Village Water Main Lining project, and $400,000 going to its Sanitary Sewer Inflow and Infiltration Reduction project,
- Morrisville Borough will receive $122,008 for its Melvin Avenue Basin Improvements Phase II project,
- Perkasie Regional Authority will receive $200,000 for its Ridge Road Sewer Extension project, and
- Yardley Borough will receive $211,989 for its North Main Street Sidewalk Drainage Phase II project.
“These projects will help make critical improvements to our municipal water and sewer systems, strengthening our infrastructure to protect our environment and maintain quality drinking water for our community,” said Sen. Santarsiero.
“The Morrisville grant will enhance the delivery of water to our residents and business by meeting water quality best management practices, and with the landscaping it will be more aesthetically pleasing. It is a win-win for Morrisville,” said Rep. Warren. “The Yardley Borough grant for Phase II of the North Main Street sidewalk drainage will enhance safety and accessibility for Yardley and northern Lower Makefield residents and will be an economic boost to downtown businesses and the entire community. Yardley Borough Council has been working on this project for a long time, and it is great that the state is supporting the project.”
“Working in partnership with local municipalities to support key infrastructure projects is more important than ever to make sure essential services are provided to our citizens,” said Rep. Ullman. “Securing state support ultimately lessens the cost impact on our municipalities, and thus on local taxpayers.”
“These funds for both Falls Township and Morrisville will help make important improvements to our local water and sewer systems,” said Rep. Galloway. “I am glad to see projects in my district, and across the county, receiving funding for these much-needed updates.”
Small water and sewer grants are awarded to fund projects that assist with the construction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation or repair of a water supply system, sanitary sewer system, storm sewer system, or flood control projects.
For more information on DCED’s Small Water and Sewer program, visit the DCED website.
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May 28, 2020
BUCKS COUNTY – May 28, 2020 – Senators Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and Maria Collett (D-12) were joined by State Representatives Perry Warren (D-31), Tina Davis (D-141), John Galloway (D-140) and Wendy Ullman (D-143) in asking Governor Wolf to issue an executive order permitting personal services businesses, such as barbers and salons, located in counties in the yellow or green phase to reopen with enhanced safety measures.
The letter references a plan for reopening of the personal service industry used in neighboring Ohio, developed by a personal services workgroup at the request of Ohio’s Governor. The Ohio plan includes a list of requirements and best practices for businesses to implement, such as maintaining six feet of social distancing (except between the client and employee when appropriate), requiring employees to wear facial coverings (with some exceptions), requiring businesses to clean high-touch items after each use, and requiring employees to wear gloves and dispose of gloves in between tasks.
“During a productive call with 45 barbers and hair stylists from across the Commonwealth, they shared the process for reopening their industry that is being implemented in Ohio,” said Sen. Santarsiero. “Based on the precautions they recommend, paired with the hundreds of hours of training that licensed professionals in the industry receive in sanitation, sterilization and hygiene, I believe it is time to safely reopen this sector of Pennsylvania’s economy.”
“I have heard from many hair, nail, and tanning salon owners in my district, the majority of these salons being women- and minority-owned, who are ready and able to implement these expanded safety guidelines and return to serving our communities,” said Sen. Collett. “It is important that we continue to generate and propose creative solutions and compromises so that businesses in yellow phase counties can begin to resume operations and rebuild while we continue to protect the public health.”
The full text of the letter to Governor Wolf can be found here.
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October 17, 2019
HARRISBURG − October 17, 2019 − State Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10) and state Representatives Perry Warren (D-31) and John Galloway (D-140) announced the award of a Keystone Grant totaling $52,500 to Morrisville Free Library for the replacement of the slate roof of the library’s 108-year-old building.
“With this generous grant, Morrisville Free Library can continue to provide invaluable resources to our community,” Sen. Santarsiero said. “For decades, Morrisville Free Library has taught our children the joy of reading, provided students with the tools necessary to learn, and has hosted countless events for children, seniors, businesses, and community groups.”
“Libraries in our community offer an invaluable service as free learning centers to preschoolers, students, adults and seniors,” said Rep. Warren. “In other words, everyone in the community benefits from a strong library system. We’re fortunate enough to live in a community where we have one, a place where the only thing you need to pursue knowledge is a desire to learn and a free library card.”
“I’m glad to see the Morrisville Free Library will be receiving some much-needed upgrades,” said Rep. Galloway. “This has been a long-standing establishment in our community, and I’m confident that these funds will ensure its continued prosperity as a place to learn and gather.”
Morrisville Free Library is one of 19 public libraries across 12 counties in Pennsylvania that have been awarded $3.25 million in Keystone Grants to use toward improving physical facilities. Keystone Grants are funded through the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), through the Office of Commonwealth Libraries, Bureau of Library Development, administers the public library portion of this program. Grants of up to $750,000 may be used for planning, acquisition, construction and rehabilitation of public libraries, and must be matched dollar-for-dollar.
For more information on Keystone Library Grants and the Keystone Recreation, Park and Conservation Fund, please visit the State Library of Pennsylvania’s website.
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