By a split 8-7 vote, the Basic Education Funding Commission adopted a Democratic-backed report that says the state will need to spend over $5 billion to address education funding gaps.
The report recommends changing the formula that Pennsylvania has used to fund public schools to reduce year-over-year fluctuations in state funding for poorer districts while calling on increased investments in school construction and expansion of the education workforce. The commission, made up of six legislators from both the Democrat and Republican parties along with three members of the Shapiro Administration, was reconvened last spring to address the state court ruling that found the state was unconstitutionally underfunding poorer school districts. Along with the over $5 billion that is proposed to be spent over seven years, the report said the state should implement a mandatory $200 million increase in funding to account for cost increases, but the big question from Republicans is “where is the money going to come from?”
In a statement, Senate Republican Leader Joe Pittman thanked the members of the commission for their work, and he said that the various reports will be reviewed and explore changes to appropriately serve all of the state’s children. He added that, “The General Assembly has consistently invested more money in educating fewer students statewide. Accountability, reforms and implementing ways to further empower parents in the education of their children also must be key components of Pennsylvania’s education system moving forward.”
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