Forums outline funding unfairness
POTTSTOWN >> The public school system in Pottstown has been called “the poster child” for how poor, high minority districts are shortchanged by Pennsylvania’s education funding system.
This is why it makes perfect sense for Pottstown to be the place to host a sixpart forum designed to educate voters about how it is unfair, and what they can do about it.
That’s what’s happening every Sunday at 4:15 under a series of presentations live-streamed online and organized by Myra Forrest, a retired Pottstown schools administrator-turned activist.
The first three have already taken place, but the recordings can be viewed at — fbcpottstown.org — the First Baptist Church website.
First Baptist is one of six faith-based organizations in town — the others are Zion’s United Church of Christ, First Presbyterian Church, Trinity Reformed Church of Pottstown, Bethel Community Church of Pottstown and Congregation Hesed Shel Emet — which have
sponsored the series.
Forrest recently took on the title of “Education Advocate” for the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation, where she chaired the board of directors for several years, and the foundation is assisting her in her efforts.
Using a data-driven approach, Forrest is collaborating with an existing statewide advocacy group, Uniting for Action, to show the deficit in education funding. As part of that effort, she’s authored a case study centered on the Pottstown School District.
“We are working to get this information out across the state using Pottstown School District as an example of what improper funding of a district looks like, and what the ramifications of that are,” said Forrest.
“It means that in Pottstown there are no elementary counselors. It means that there are no middle school language courses
offered. It means that there are not nearly as many sports or coaches in Pottstown as in surrounding districts,” she said. “The suffering goes all the way around, and it’s a tale that needs to be told.”
Forrest is collaborating with Uniting for Action to implement a letter-writing campaign—one that will make a connection with each and every lawmaker from across the commonwealth.
“People coming into Harrisburg
need to be apprised of this issue. If you live in a school district that’s well funded and your children are getting a fine education, I don’t think that people pay too much attention to it because your needs are being met,” said Forrest.
“We need to educate citizens across Pennsylvania about these discrepancies so that they can encourage legislators to do something about it because I believe what’s going on is unethical, and it’s immoral,” she said.
Sunday’s presentation will be by Laura Johnson, a Pottstown School Board member and founder of Pennsylvanians for Fair Funding.
She will discuss how inequitable education funding affects every aspect of the community, from students not receiving the same educational opportunities as their neighbors to undercutting the economic outlook for families.