In Burrell School District, teachers are preparing for a fourth consecutive year with fewer than 100 students in kindergarten.

That would be fine if small kindergarten classes were what Burrell was built to accommodate. It is not, however, the historical norm. The district’s kindergarten enrollment has fallen by about 23% over the past decade. That might not seem like a problem. It could mean more space in the classroom or more opportunities for participation.

But that’s not quite how it works.

Burrell is not alone. Eight of the 11 districts in the Alle-Kiski Valley have also seen slumping enrollment in recent years. The same is true of Franklin Regional, Greensburg Salem, Ligonier Valley, Penn-Trafford and others in Westmoreland County.

It isn’t just smaller districts, either. Pittsburgh Public Schools has just moved forward with a plan for closings and restructuring based on declining numbers.

The problem comes because school districts play a long game. They plan years down the road because making last-minute changes is difficult when those changes affect thousands of children’s lives.

Declining enrollment is also a more complicated issue than increasing numbers, even though it might seem easier to handle. More students might be handled with larger class sizes or wedging in more desks. It could require temporary trailers to accommodate more students. In the long term, it means building projects.

But fewer students can have costs, too.

It might seem to point to smaller class sizes. But it can sometimes mean the opposite as classes might be reconfigured, pushing two smaller groups into an oversized one. Operating a building too large for the student body can mean a disproportionate use of staffing, equipment and utilities. Consolidating buildings can increase transportation costs.

That hurts because, if student enrollment is down, it also can mean overall district population is falling, leaving fewer people to foot the bills.

And that circles back to a problem that has plagued Pennsylvania for generations — funding school districts based on property taxes. It builds on the inequality outlined in the 2023 Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruling that called the way schools are funded unconstitutional.

Declining enrollment can exacerbate the unfairness as it increases the burden and potentially leaves it to fall on fewer shoulders.

The solution, in any other business, would be to correct such a decline. However, it’s not a school district’s job to recruit residents, only to support the ones there.

Districts are left to cut staff or let it wither through attrition, to merge physical facilities and possibly to trim services where possible. All of that means districts from shrinking areas, like poorer areas, can have a very different educational experience than larger and wealthier locations.

The reality of tax burden and changing population is seen in the state’s demographics. Census data shows, while the state overall isn’t losing population, growth isn’t robust or uniform. While some city centers are increasing, others are slipping away. At the same time, the population is aging rapidly.

Commonwealth Court recognized inequality in education cannot be ignored simply because it has existed for a long time.

Demographic decline deserves the same attention. Pennsylvania can’t build an equitable education system for tomorrow while pretending it still serves the Pennsylvania of yesterday.

The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) is working directly with local health care and community partners to address the increasing number of measles cases statewide among people who are not fully vaccinated, particularly in the Lancaster-Lebanon region.

The Department is working around the clock to mitigate the spread of this highly contagious virus, with experts and medical professionals ready to respond to any new cases that may emerge.

“The single most effective way to avoid contracting or spreading measles is to get fully vaccinated. We know Pennsylvanians care about their communities, and doing their part to protect our youngest and most vulnerable residents creates the immunity we need in every city and town to keep this disease at bay,” said Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen. “High rates of vaccination in a community reduce the spread of the highly contagious measles virus. The Department of Health is working hand in hand with a host of community partners to ensure people across the state have access to accurate information and to vaccines close to home.”

In 2026 so far, 84 measles cases have been identified in Pennsylvania, with 72 cases in the Lancaster-Lebanon region alone, beginning in late April, including: Berks (2), Dauphin (2), Lancaster (41), Lebanon (20), Northumberland (6), and York (1) counties. Earlier in the year, cases were identified in Lancaster (8), Montgomery (3), and Chester (1).

The Department, along with many partners, is increasing vaccine information and access across the Commonwealth. This year, state health center staff administered more than 1,300 doses of the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine to Pennsylvanians. DOH continues to host pop-up MMR vaccine clinics, providing more than 430 doses to residents in the Lancaster-Lebanon region since cases were first identified there in late April.

Making vaccine accessible

Two doses of the MMR vaccine provide the best protection against measles, as it is 97% effective at preventing a person from ever contracting it. The vaccine has long proven effective over several decades. Since the vaccine was introduced in the early 1960s, measles cases and deaths in the U.S. have decreased by more than 97% compared to the pre-vaccine era.

Educating health care providers

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), people most at risk are:

• Unvaccinated

• Infants too young to have received the MMR vaccine.

• People from parts of the world where there is low vaccination coverage or where there is circulating measles.

More information on measles is available at — www.pa.gov/measles.

L&I preparing students for life

The Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (L&I) this week showcased the ongoing success and impact of its Summer Academies for high school students who are blind or visually impaired, and for students who are deaf or hard of hearing.

These week-long programs — hosted annually by L&I’s Office of Vocational Rehabilitation (OVR) and held at Penn State’s University Park campus — provide students the tools and training needed to live independently, pursue higher education, and secure meaningful employment.

L&I Secretary Nancy A. Walker met with 18 students attending the Summer Academy for Students who are Deaf and Hard of Hearing. Last week, she visited 18 students participating in the Summer Academy for Students who are Blind and Visually Impaired. Both programs are offered at no cost to students or families through federal Pre-Employment Transition Services (Pre-ETS) funding.

“These summer academies provide students with disabilities an immersive experience on a college campus where they can socialize with peers and develop the practical skills needed for a successful transition to college and the workforce,” said Secretary Walker. “Every student faces unique challenges, and we know students with disabilities often benefit from additional support.”

Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 budget calls for an additional $1 million investment in OVR, which helps people of all ages with disabilities find employment through personalized services such as vocational counseling and guidance, goal setting, training, and job placement.

Each year, OVR engages with more than 76,000 students and adults with disabilities across all programs. Last year, nearly 18,000 students with disabilities received Pre-ETS, and OVR placed more than 6,400 individuals into competitive integrated employment.

Students participating in OVR’s Summer Academies experience authentic college living, including dormitory accommodations, dining hall meals, and team-building activities. The curriculum covers mobility training, requesting accommodations, use of assistive technology, emotional and social development, career planning, and adaptive sports.

Highlighting plan to improve health

Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh and Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding this week shared the Shapiro Administration’s proposal to demonstrate how consistent access to healthy foods can have a tangible impact on a person’s health and well-being.

Programs that use food as medicine in Pennsylvania and around the country have been shown to improve the trajectory of chronic illness and help shift health care spending – a strategy the Shapiro Administration is looking to expand here in Pennsylvania.

“Our health is so much more than access to care – what we eat, where we live, and our sense of community and support affect how healthy we are, how we manage illness and disease, and our overall quality of life,” said Secretary Arkoosh. “Investments in Health is our opportunity to make strategic investments in proven prevention efforts like ‘Food Is Medicine’ that will help Pennsylvanians be healthier and improve our state’s financial health as well by using strategies that lower Medicaid spending. When we take a positive, proactive approach to improve Pennsylvanians’ health and quality of life, everyone benefits.”

Food-as-medicine strategies can significantly reduce hospital admissions among people with diet-sensitive conditions and lower health care spending by an average of 16%. Currently, PA DHS works with community-based organizations to provide medically tailored meals under Medicaid on a limited basis.

With a $900,000 investment in state funds, Pennsylvania could leverage additional federal matching funds, bringing total funding to $2.3 million.

“Fresh, high-quality food can be our best preventative medicine,” Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding said. “That makes Pennsylvania farmers our best pharmacy. The Shapiro Administration is committed to investing in a strong, resilient food system as an investment in increased health and food security for the future of all Pennsylvanians.”

Investments in Health will provide funding in three key areas:

• Food Is Medicine: $900,000 in state funds to leverage federal investment for a total of $2.3 million to support a pilot program that will bring medically tailored meals to Medicaid recipients with diet-sensitive health conditions;

• Reentry Supports: $900,000 in state funds to leverage additional federal funding for a total of $2.7 million that will support pre-release Medicaid coverage for incarcerated individuals returning to their communities from State Correctional Institutions; and

• Housing Stability: $1 million in state funding to leverage additional federal funding for a total of $2.5 million to launch a pilot that will help Pennsylvanians experiencing homelessness connect to stable housing and services.

Targeted budget investments in these proven services can improve people’s health and quality of life, reduce health care costs and hospital visits, improve public safety, support economic and workforce development, and reduce recidivism.

Reach Bill O’Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on X @TLBillOBoyle.