Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) district regains local control

After nearly six years under state control, the Harrisburg (Pennsyvania) district has emerged from receivership and regained local control of school operations.

The Pennsylvania Capital-Star reports that acting Education Secretary Carrie Rowe announced the end of the receivership, saying the district had significantly improved its financial management.

Rowe said Harrisburg Superintendent Benjamin Henry, the Harrisburg school board and the department’s appointed chief recovery officer Yvonne Hollins have demonstrated “leadership, vision, and tenacity” by establishing a financial model that is an example for other distressed districts.

“This accomplishment is a testament to the dedicated school leaders who are committed to serving the learners in their community,” Rowe said. “When the district entered financial recovery in 2012, it was a very different district than the one we see today.”

The Pennsylvania Department of Education asked a judge in 2019 to give it control of the district as the school system struggled with poor finances and substandard student performance. 

State law requires the Education Department to apply for receivership when locally elected school officials are unable or unwilling to follow a financial recovery plan.

In its 2019 petition, the Education Department described patterns of financial mismanagement and poor personnel decisions. Since the receivership was renewed in 2022, the superintendent and school board made significant progress in carrying out its financial recovery plan. It updated school buildings and infrastructure through a capital improvement plan and maintained fund balances of at least 5% of annual spending for three consecutive years. 

“Their return to local control is an opportunity to put into practice everything they have learned about effective governance,” said court-appointed receiver Lori Suski.