Panther Valley School District Superintendent Dennis Kergick is often outspoken about the financial hardships faced by school districts like his.

Oftentimes that includes calling out Harrisburg for not dedicating more funds to education as well as their expenses due to retirement costs and cyber charter schools are on the rise.Well, two legislators whose districts include Panther Valley responded to that call earlier this month.State Sen. David Argall and state Rep. Jerry Knowles recently wrote a letter responding to Kergick's most recent comments, made as the Panther Valley School Board was set to vote on a tax increase."In our many years of education in local schools, and in several different colleges and universities, we have encountered many textbooks. None of them have ever suggested attacking people who are trying to help you. While that may be your right, we don't believe that is a very effective strategy," the letter read.The comments in question came at the board's June meeting, where the school board passed a 2016-17 budget which raises taxes. Kergick called out legislators for perpetuating a system of funding education which he called unfair."There are districts that have seen enrollment go down consistently for the last 25 years and yet their per-pupil funding increases," he said."Locally, our legislators have not been responsive to our calls for assistance. That these folks run unopposed is an absolute sin."Kergick did not name the legislators to which he was referring, but of the four senators and representatives whose districts include portions of Panther Valley, only Argall and Knowles are running unopposed.In their response, sent July 8, Argall and Knowles said that Panther Valley's state funding is at its highest level in history - roughly $12.4 million. And it has increased every year since 2009-10.They also wrote that they were unaware of Kergick's calls for assistance, because he had never visited them personally. That apparently is a contrast from other local school officials."According to our records, we haven't heard from you since 2015. Indeed, unlike many of your fellow superintendents, if you would walk into our offices, we wouldn't even recognize you," they wrote.Knowles said he felt that he and Argall were being singled out."We can't just allow him to say something that's misleading people," he said. "That's why the senator and I felt the need to respond."Knowles said that while he has full faith in the districts he represents, including Panther Valley, that he has greater concerns about Pennsylvania's public education system where each district continues to receive more money each year regardless of enrollment or performance."I think in terms of statewide system of education there needs to be accountability," he said.When asked about the letter, Kergick said that he was trying to draw attention to the fact that districts like Panther Valley often have to choose between cutting programs and raising taxes - neither of which families in the financially depressed former coal region can afford."Our ZIP code should never dictate the quality of educational services here at Panther Valley - education is a ticket out of poverty," he said.Kergick said in light of the letter, he has scheduled a meeting with Argall and Knowles for early next month. He said he is concerned about the unfunded mandates - pensions, special education, and in particular cyber charter schools, which he said are decimating public education. Districts are required to pay those expenses and have little control over them.He said the district's expenses for special education went up 30 percent in this year's budget. And while the district's overall state funding has increased over the last six years, its special education funding has not."I fear for the future of public education," Kergick said. "We simply cannot keep raising taxes on the families that inhabit our school district. The state has an obligation to address this scenario - it is the right thing to do.