LV leaders react to ruling that school funding system hurts poorer districts
A decision Tuesday that Pennsylvania’s system of school funding is unconstitutional brought immediate reaction from Lehigh Valley school leaders and politicians.
Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubilerer found that students who live in poorer areas with low property values and income do not receive the same educational opportunities and resources as students in wealthier districts with high property values and income. The judge went on to write that this disparity isn’t justified by any “legitimate government interest.”
The 2021 lawsuit was brought against the Pennsylvania Department of Education and other state leaders in their official capacities by various parents and organizations, as well as six districts including Lancaster, Greater Johnstown and Wilkes-Barre Area.
The impact of the decision is not clear yet, but local and state leaders said it is an exciting step toward equitably funding education.
State Rep. Mike Schlossberg said the decision was a win for Pennsylvania’s kids and justice, but added that the ruling will likely be appealed, leaving the governor and Legislature to “address its conclusion.”
“For decades, Pennsylvania advocates have argued that children in Allentown and similar districts have not received the same education as children in wealthier ones,” Schlossberg, D-Lehigh, said in a statement. “This inequity damages students, their futures, their families, their communities, and all taxpayers.
“Judge Cohn Jubelirer ruled in favor of those kids today,” he said. “In so doing, her ruling reinforces a basic American principle that this country has always strived for at its best: America and Pennsylvania can be the land of freedom and opportunity, but only when every student is given a level playing field.”
Schlossberg noted Allentown School District has worked to make due with older facilities, underpaid teachers and fewer resources. He hopes this decision is the beginning of correcting for these inequities.
Bethlehem Area School Board President Michael Faccinetto also said the decision is a “historic victory for all students,” but similarly noted the decision will likely be appealed.
“After nearly 10 years of fighting, the Commonwealth Court has finally ruled that Pennsylvania’s funding system is unconstitutional,” he said in an email. “The two-tiered funding system of wealth poverty that has negatively impacted generations of students is finally headed to reform.”
Shortly after the decision was announced, Bethlehem Area Superintendent Joseph Roy said in an email that he had not fully read it yet, but noted that districts across the state that are most underfunded are also the poorest with the greatest percentages of students of color.
“It’s an inescapable truth that the current system of funding public schools results in poor districts and districts with greater percentages of students of color to have less money to educate students,” Roy said.
State Sen. Lisa Boscola, D-Northampton, said in a statement she is pleased with the court’s decision.
“Hopefully, this decision will spur the General Assembly to move away from local school property taxes and towards a fairer funding mechanism that fully utilizes our fair funding formula,” she said. “A child’s zip code should not determine the quality of their education.”