Fair funding trial shows the tale of haves and have-nots
The “voices of inequity” are speaking in a Harrisburg courtroom, and they have a lot to say.
Testimony is being heard in the landmark school funding lawsuit brought by education advocacy groups and school districts in Pennsylvania, including the William Penn School District in Delaware County. The trial in Commonwealth Court is in its third month and is expected to last through February.
Plaintiffs are offering a tale of two sides of public education in Pennsylvania, reciting a litany of differences between the haves and have-nots.
Jane Harbert, the former superintendent at William Penn School District who led the district when the lawsuit was filed, testified the district had only seven principals for eight elementary schools and could not afford math supports, counselors, social workers or vice principals.
The district has just four school counselors for the eight elementary schools, she testified.
Students in the district are below grade on standardized tests with just 8.2% of fourthgraders proficient in math, 38.6% proficient in English.
Current Superintendent Dr. Eric Becoats reiterated the deficits created by gaps in resources in the poverty-ridden district.
“Some of the data that we highlighted today as far as academic results are deplorable and we can’t continue to operate the way that we are without additional resources … and expect different results,” Becoats testified.
While the trial continues, so does the effort on the grassroots level to engage citizens in joining the fight for equitable funding of Pennsylvania public schools.
A virtual rally was held last week hosted by Children First, of Philadelphia, formerly Public Citizens for Children & Youth, and featured members of the Norristown Area and Pottstown school boards.
Nearly 100 education officials, advocates, parents and students participated in the Zoom rally.
“This is a civil rights issue, no doubt, and … it’s not complicated. Every child in this commonwealth deserves the same quality of education no matter their ZIP code. Full stop. Fix this now,” said Norristown Area School Board President Phil Daniels.
Those attending the session joined a rallying cry to protest comments reportedly made at the trial by a lawyer for the legislators who are defendants in the lawsuit. The comments referenced by a speaker at the rally suggested students on a “McDonald’s career track” don’t need advanced biology or algebra courses.
Pottstown School Board member Laura Johnson was among those outraged.
“… I was so angry and dismayed to hear the lawyer for Sen. (Jake) Corman argue that we shouldn’t be really concerned when students in underresourced districts lack proficiency in core academic areas like biology and algebra 1,” said Johnson. “It’s as if many in the Legislature have justified underfunding districts with high numbers of poor students and students of color with the idea that they are destined for jobs where they supposedly don’t need a full education.”
The lawsuit was initially filed in 2014 by representatives from O’Melveny & Myers LLP and the Education and Public Interest Law Center for seven parents and six school districts, later joined by the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference and the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools.
After years of legal wrangling, the case made it to trial before Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer beginning on Nov. 12.
In addition to Pottstown, Norristown and William Penn districts, the case is being closely watched by the Reading School District, which tops lists each year as the most underfunded district in Pennsylvania. Other districts that are party to the lawsuit are Lancaster, Panther Valley, Greater Johnstown, Shenandoah Valley and Wilkes-Barre Area.
The trial is putting on display for all in Pennsylvania to hear the inequities that families of the poorer towns in our region live with every day — inequities that affect the future for all Pennsylvanians.
Some say we can’t afford to give more to struggling districts, claiming education is already well funded. As testimony goes on, we hear clearly that we can’t afford not to. Half a generation — the half that is the havenots — is being left behind.