Pa. must adequately fund public education
School students across our large and diverse state, whether they go to school through city streets, small town neighborhoods, or country roads, all share similar dreams and aspirations for their futures. They also, collectively, are the key to Pennsylvania’s future.
If Pennsylvania is to prosper and grow, with new investments and more job opportunities that can support families, we must have an educated, skilled, and prepared workforce. Our young people, and the generations that follow, will fuel the Commonwealth’s long-term economic growth. We must prepare them for that opportunity and that challenge.
That holds for all of Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students, no matter where they live. Not just those from the wealthy suburbs and most sought-after neighborhoods and towns, but those living in our poorest communities, both urban and rural.
Unfortunately, right now the educators at many of our schools, despite strong commitment and best efforts, struggle to deliver the kind of instruction their students need to be prepared to succeed in their careers and their lives. Yes, the pandemic has posed unprecedented problems, but serious as they are, they are hopefully temporary. The sad truth is that once COVID-19 recedes and our schools return to some semblance of normal, the state’s education system will still face tremendous challenges.
That is because, for many years — since long before today’s high school seniors were even born — the state has not funded our public schools the way it should. As a result, Pennsylvania ranks 44th in the country in state share of funding for public schools.
A recent expert report found that 428 of the 500 school districts are not receiving their adequate share of funding from the state, forcing them to rely on local tax revenue to make up the difference. The wealthiest districts, bolstered by expensive real estate, can handle it. But the rest, and particularly those districts without a strong tax based — both in cities and in rural areas of the state — are incapable of filling the gap.
For years, the problem has worsened, as mandated costs that are beyond school districts’ control like pensions, special education costs, and charter school tuition (which school districts must pay) have increased at rates much higher than what the state has been willing to cover.
Some people say that money isn’t everything and they question whether this growing shortfall of funds actually impacts students. It is true that well-run schools and dedicated teachers are vital to a quality education. But the resources they have to call upon is crucial as well.
The numbers prove it. Overall, students in school districts that are able to spend more on their students get better academic results. For example, graduation rates are 20 percentage points higher in the wealthiest districts compared to the poorest, 94% compared to 74%. Students in the wealthiest districts also score much higher, on average, on standardized tests than students from the poorest.
The funding gap perpetuates poverty across rural and urban Pennsylvania, while worsening existing racial disparities. These disparities constantly reset a vicious cycle that many black and brown students find themselves trapped in. Resources matter to their teachers.
Thanks to the state holding the line against cuts in funding this year, combined with an infusion of federal COVID-relief dollars, our schools will be better prepared to address the combination of lost local tax revenues and higher costs necessary to educate students while keeping them safe from the pandemic. But that will, at best, minimize the amount of ground students have lost this school year and the end of last. We need to begin tackling the problem of inadequate investment in our kids once and for all.
So, we are pleased to see that Gov. Tom Wolf, recognizing the long-term state underfunding of public education, has proposed increasing basic education funding for schools by an historic $1.3 billion and raising special education funding by another $200 million. What is even better is that his proposal relies on the state fair education funding formula to drive dollars to those schools with the greatest need, without taking money away from any other school district.
There will be debate about the details of this proposal and how to pay for it. But we urge every legislator to recognize that our longbroken school funding system for public schools leaves too many of our students behind and that we need a bold, forward-thinking strategy for investing in our schools so that every child has a chance to reach their full potential, regardless of where they live. To those who do not believe the governor’s approach is the best first step to get there, we ask: “What is your plan to support our students and secure our state’s future?”