Five-year financial projections for debt-ridden Harrisburg schools to be unveiled Thursday

Harrisburg School District's Chief Recovery Officer Gene Veno will host a second public meeting on the financial recovery process at 6 p.m. Thursday at Camp Curtin School, 2900 N. Sixth St.

Harrisburg School District’s Chief Recovery Officer Gene Veno will host a second public meeting on the financial recovery process at 6 p.m. Thursday at Camp Curtin School, 2900 N. Sixth St.

Veno will present a five-year financial projection, a key step in developing a recovery plan for the school system, according to a district statement.

Despite closing five schools and furloughing a third of its staff, the district faces an $11.7 million budget deficit this year.

And during the next four years, debt service payments will increase from $15.3 million to $21.4 million, or nearly 40 percent, Veno explained during the Jan. 29 public meeting.

The Pennsylvania Department of Education has determined the Harrisburg School District to be in moderate distress. That designation is not only financial, but also takes student achievement into account.

Thirty-eight percent of Harrisburg students are below basic math levels, and another 42 percent are below basic reading levels, school officials have said.

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