Amid a period of substantial financial struggle, Bensalem Township School District unveiled its new Residency Task Force, which aims to curb ineligible enrollments. 

The program intends to strengthen registration verification processes and review residency concerns, ensuring that district educational resources go towards eligible resident students.

Ineligible enrollments are defined as students whose permanent residence is not within the Bensalem district boundaries.

Interim Superintendent Victoria Velazquez said that with recent “significant financial challenges” every resource matters. 

In April 2026, Bensalem stared down a $16 million budget deficit, resulting in the elimination of 31 positions — including over 20 elementary teachers, librarians, guidance counselors and special education teachers — later the same month. 

These layoffs reduced the district’s deficit to $2 million.

While the majority of families follow residency requirements — according to a press release from Bensalem — the district believes a small number of ineligible enrollments could have a “meaningful financial impact.”

“I think that it’s really important that districts are very transparent about what their challenges may be, but we also have an obligation to our communities and our taxpayers to be responsible stewards of public resources,” Velazquez said. “But at the end, never, ever losing sight of why we’re all here and that’s our students.”

Inside the task force

The Residency Task Force is a multidepartmental effort, with Bensalem district staff from registration and enrollment, as well as student services running the program.

There are also multiple administrators involved to ensure all residency reviews are objective, consistent and aligned with both district and Pennsylvania laws.

Velazquez said the district will be working with community partners — at this time she did not specify with whom —  as well to help families in need as situations arise. Additionally, Bensalem has social workers on staff that can further assist those in need.

“We’ll seek out other resources to help families if they’re involved in situations that may go beyond just where they are living or not living at that point in time,” Velazquez said.

Help from the community

Bensalem is requesting community assistance to help identify possible violations. The district’s flyer promoting the new task force asks residents to “keep our schools strong” by reporting residency concerns.

Anyone — including residents, staff members and families — who has “credible information” about potential residency violations should email the district’s tip line: residencytip(at)bensalemsd.org.

“I think that it’s really important that districts are very transparent about what their challenges may be, but we also have an obligation to our communities and our taxpayers to be responsible stewards of public resources.” – Interim Superintendent Victoria Velazquez

All reports will be reviewed by the task force under district policies and state residency laws.

“There’s no single solution to financial challenges that school districts are facing today because it’s a myriad of reasons,” Velazquez said. “But that success — when you get there — comes from a hundred thoughtful decisions, both large and small, that collectively help strengthen our organization and protect taxpayer resources and at the same time preserve those opportunities for our students.”