PlanCon and School Construction
Uncertainty about when the 2015-16 (and future) PlanCon reimbursements will flow continues to exist. However, some recent progress has been made. With all parties agreeing that changes to the current PlanCon program were necessary, a plan was developed in June 2015 to make significant changes to the PlanCon program and to borrow to cover the state obligations for those projects currently in the PlanCon pipeline. Various iterations of this proposal were tweaked and tossed around for a year before being included in Act 25 of 2016.
Act 25 of 2016 included the following PlanCon-related language:
Act 25 of 2016 included the following PlanCon-related language:
- Authorized up to $2.5 billion of borrowing through the Commonwealth Financing Authority to cover the state's obligations for those projects currently in the pipeline. This would allow the state to pay those districts currently owed reimbursements and those districts with projects in the pipeline. It would also ensure that new dollars were available for new projects. The debt would be repaid by maintaining the 2014-15 line item of $306 million, so there would be no additional obligation of the state.
- Created a PlanCon Advisory Committee to review the current PlanCon program and make recommendations about a new and streamlined program by May 15, 2017. The committee would include 1 PASBO member in addition to legislators.
- Instituted a moratorium on new projects entering the program while the Advisory Committee crafts a new program. Under Act 25, the moratorium goes into effect on May 15, 2016 and will expire on June 30, 2017.
- Required PDE to post information about the status of each current PlanCon program in a searchable database on their website.
- Permitted PDE to prioritize those projects that have submitted all appropriate paperwork (removing, temporarily, from the payment queue those districts that have not yet submitted complete information).
Additional PlanCon information
- Read the letter to Governor Wolf asking for the continuation of PlanCon.
- Read the combined statements of PASBO members-September 2014
- Read the PASBO press release.-January 2014
- Read the combined statements of PASBO members.-January 2014
- Read the PlanCon handout prepared for the press event.-January 2014
- Read PASBO's Letter to the House -6/9/14
- Read PASBO's Letter to the House -6/4/14
- Read PASBO's Letter to the House Education Committee -4/30/14
- Read PASBO's testimony. -3/31/14
Additional Information on PlanCon and School Construction
- Read PDE's Preliminary Report on the School Facility Survey -5/1/14
- Read PDE's Report on PlanCon-May 2013
- Joint Letter to Legislature on PlanCon Moratorium