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America First Policy Institute
Local Policy Brief
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| 📅 Tuesday, October 20, 2026 to Calendar |
| 📄 View Official Agenda |
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We reviewed the upcoming agenda for New Hope-Solebury SD and found 3 items with policy significance ahead of the vote.
| PRIORITY (LEVEL 8) |
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District Budget Projections Show Future Structural Deficits
The district’s long-term budget projections, presented as part of the budget update, forecast expenditures outpacing revenues in future years, leading to a structural deficit. The projections assume annual real estate tax increases near the state cap and are driven by an estimated 8% annual increase in employee benefit costs.
Policy Use
BRIEF STATE AFFAIRS: Item 4.C includes budget projections showing a structural deficit driven by rising benefit costs. Capture the ‘Budget Projections’ attachment as a case study for testimony on the fiscal pressures facing local districts, particularly from pension obligations, and the resulting pressure for tax increases.
Policy Lever: Future Tax Increases
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| PRIORITY (LEVEL 7) |
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District Hires External Counsel for Union Negotiations
The district is engaging the law firm McNees Wallace & Nurick at a blended rate of $325 per hour for legal services related to upcoming contract negotiations with the New Hope-Solebury Education Association. This represents a significant financial commitment for labor relations and collective bargaining.
Policy Use
TRACK AND DOCUMENT: Item 4.D approves a legal services agreement for union negotiations. Monitor board minutes for reports on total legal fees expended on this contract and track the progress and fiscal impact of the collective bargaining agreement.
Policy Lever: $325/hour Legal Fees
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| WATCH (LEVEL 4) |
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District Contracts for Medicaid Billing Support
The district is approving a contract for up to $27,000 with the Bucks County Intermediate Unit to provide administrative support for the School-Based ACCESS Program (SBAP). This program allows the district to seek Medicaid reimbursement for providing health-related services to eligible students.
Policy Use
WATCH: Item 4.D approves a contract for Medicaid billing. Add this district to the tracker for federal program entanglement, noting the administrative cost associated with seeking SBAP reimbursement.
Policy Lever: $27,000 Contract
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District Leadership
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180 W Bridge St, New Hope, PA 18938 |
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“America First, Always.”
AFPI exists to advance policies that put the American people first. Our guiding principles are liberty, free enterprise, national excellence, American military superiority, foreign-policy engagement in the American interest, and the primacy of American workers, families, and communities in all we do.
America First Policy Institute
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