How Will the Sequester Impact Phoenixville?

The federal budget sequester began March 1, but its actual impact on local programs is not yet clear. Here's a quick rundown of where things currently stand:

Phoenixville Area School District

According to the district's community relations manager Sandy Claus, the sequester will have little if any impact of PASD:

[Superintendent Alan Fegley] said it really isn't going to have an impact, since the amount of federal money we receive is relatively low, and not a major factor in our budget.

This Education Week article was recommended by a neighboring administrator as a good reference for understanding the sequester's impact on schools.

Chester County

County Commissioner Ryan Costello examined the impact of the sequester on Facebook Tuesday, and urged his constituents not to buy into alarmist rhetoric:

There would/will be some reductions in housing, human services and public health programs, but Chesco is well-positioned relative to other Counties and States on dealing with the impacts. Further, it's very difficult to speculate on how it specifically will impact any particular program or project (non-defense related, that is).

Chester County Intermediate Unit

Mary Curley, Communications Director at the CCIU, said the sequester threatens about $2 million in federal funding to programs like Head Start, migrant education and Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement programs (IDEA).

"There are over 400 children in our Head Start program in the county, and about 1,500 students in our migrant education program. We provide special education services to about 5,000 students in the county," Curley said. "So naturally, we're concerned, but we don't know the full effect at this point."