DELAWARE COUNTY, PA – September 5, 2025 – Members of the Delaware County House and Senate legislative delegations, today held a press conference at the Lansdowne Avenue Trolley Station in Drexel Hill, PA to call on Pennsylvania Senate Republicans to return to the table and negotiate a sensible state budget that protects investments in public transit and delivers critical, fair funding to K-12 schools.
Speaking on behalf of the Delaware County Legislative Delegation, Senator Tim Kearney (D-Delaware), Rep. Gina H. Curry, (D-Delaware), and Rep. Heather Boyd (D-Delaware), were joined by Senator John Kane (D-Delaware/Chester),Rep. LeAnne Krueger (D-Delaware), Rep. Lisa Borowski (D-Delaware) Upper Darby Township Mayor Edward Brown, Upper Darby School District’s Superintendent of Schools Dr. Daniel McGarry, William Penn School District’s Chief of Operations Darnell Deans, along with transit advocates who highlighted real-time impacts on families and local school districts.
“It’s unacceptable that the budget stalemate is entering its third month, delaying critical public transit and education funding,” said Senator Kearney. “This impasse impacts the Commonwealth’s economy and low-wealth school districts, several in my district, whose students rely on public transit. With uncertainty surrounding SEPTA cuts and the budget timeline, it’s understandable that school leaders, students, and families are frustrated. I join my Delaware County Legislative Delegation colleagues in calling on Senate Republicans to allocate sensible funding for public transit and deliver dire, fair state funding to our schools—it’s our constitutional duty.”
Other speakers highlighted how reduced SEPTA service is straining student commutes, family routines, and everyday working people’s lives.
“Every day this budget is stalled, our kids suffer. SEPTA cuts are not just missed connections—they’re missed paychecks, missed medical appointments, and missed chances to build a better life,” said Rep. Curry. “Reliable transportation is a lifeline, not a luxury. Service reductions on our buses and Regional Rail have created a devastating gap in access—one that disproportionately hurts working families, students, seniors, and essential workers. The PA Senate must stop playing politics with our future. Pass a budget that fully funds our schools, protects public transit, and invests in our communities. We will not accept a system that derails our children’s education and abandons the people who keep our commonwealth running.”
“Reliable transit is the bridge to strong schools, good jobs, and thriving communities, and our families deserve the certainty that comes with safe, dependable service,” said Rep. Boyd. This uncertainty is crushing—students are missing classes, parents are scrambling, and families are paying more for less, while the very routes that connect us to schools, colleges, and jobs are being cut. Every missed bus is a missed class, every delayed trolley a delayed paycheck, and every canceled route a canceled opportunity—Delaware County deserves better, and we demand action now.”
On August 24, SEPTA implemented a 20% service reduction, impacting dozens of routes, with more scheduled. On Thursday, a Philadelphia judge ordered SEPTA to reverse those cuts after a lawsuit argued they harmed disadvantaged communities. The same judge also granted a 21.5% fare increase, creating more confusion and potential financial strain for riders. While SEPTA may have enough cash in its account to cover services for a few weeks, SEPTA officials project those funds will be depleted by year’s end if it’s forced to operate without sustainable funding. This ruling underscores the urgent need for a long-term-plan.
In addition to public transit funding woes, the budget impasse has withheld approximately $1.75 billion in expected state payments to public schools in the Commonwealth for July and August. The delayed funding has hit low-wealth school districts, whose student population also relies on public transit the hardest.
“On any given day, about 2,000 of our high school students arrive at this location to access public transportation in order to get to work, take care of their families, attend school, and reach essential resources,” said Dr. McGarry. “For many, access to local transportation is the deciding factor in whether they can meet these daily responsibilities. This need is even more pressing as our student population requiring specialized services continues to grow. In 2007, the high school served 155 English Language learners and 383 students requiring special education services; by 2024, those numbers had increased to 672 EL students and 855 students with special education needs. These students depend on educational programming delivered by certified, highly trained professionals, programs that cannot exist without adequate funding. When funding is delayed or withheld, our most vulnerable students lose access to the very resources designed to support them. Year after year, political posturing has jeopardized whether our schools receive the funding they need. This must end. Our schools must be funded so that all students, especially those who face the greatest challenges, can access the education and support they deserve.”
Dr. Becoats, Superintendent of Schools for the William Penn School District, echoed McGarry’s sentiment about the budget impasse’s impact on school districts and also emphasized the importance of SEPTA to students in his district.
“Every day, many of our students rely on SEPTA to get to school safely and on time,” said Dr. Becoats, Superintendent of the William Penn School District. “Cuts to service don’t just make travel harder—they make learning harder. We urge state leaders to act now to fund both education and the transit services that connect our students to opportunity and success.”
The delegation reiterated the call to action, urging Senate Republicans to return to budget negotiations now to prevent further consequences for transit riders and public-school districts.
Session for the Senate is scheduled to be held Monday, September 8, through Wednesday, September 10. It is unclear if budget conversations will take place during that time.
The live feed from the press conference can be viewed here.
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