WILKES-BARRE — It’s been more than 100 days past the deadline to approve the state budget, and that delay is affecting area school districts.

Brian J. Costello, superintendent at the Wilkes-Barre Area School District, said the ongoing budget impasse is forcing tough, short-term decisions that undermine the long-term commitments the district has made to its students.

“We had planned to hire additional teachers, academic interventionists, and educational resources to better support learning, but without a state budget, we cannot move forward,” Costello said. “Already, our district has lost access to more than $40 million in federal and state funding that we were counting on for critical staffing and programs.”

As a district, Costello said Wilkes-Barre Area has fought tirelessly in the Fai

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