HARRISBURG, PA — On August 3, more than a month after the deadline, Gov. Josh Shapiro signed a $45.45 billion spending plan, easing anxieties among school districts, county governments and nonprofits about delays in their state funding.

This budget process was a notably contentious one for the Democratic governor’s first go-round since getting elected. He originally wooed the Republican-controlled state Senate with promises to support the funding for charter schools the bill contained.

However, once the 2023-24 budget passed the Senate, Shapiro announced that he would veto that same charter school language he vowed to support, prompting the Democratic-controlled state House to pass the budget in its chamber.

At press time, the divided legislature still needs to pass accompanying “fiscal code” bills. Until that happens, more than $1 billion—which would go toward a number of programs, including one that aids PA’s most struggling school districts—cannot be spent.