News & Events
York County School Superintendents join together to criticize governor's voucher and charter school proposals
They say Corbett's plans could have long term negative consequences for education in PA.
The superintendents criticized the governor's support for vouchers for the lack of academic or fiscal accountability in the current proposals and because voucher proposals would take state funds directly out of already underfunded urban classrooms. With regard to charter schools, the superintendents cited national and state research finding that charter students are not generally outperforming comparable public school students.
Read more.
$66 million in federal SIG funds awarded
Secretary Tomalis criticizes eligible schools for not applying
Of the 41 schools which received the competitive awards of federal funds, 16 schools are located in seven PLUS districts: Allentown (one school), Harrisburg (5 schools), Lancaster (two schools), Norristown (one school), Philadelphia (five schools), Pittsburgh (one school) and Williamsport (one school). Read more.
* AP reports on Aug 7 that "Poor schools hit hardest by budget cuts in PA".
Report prompts several editorials decrying disparate impact
PLUS offers testimony before House Education Committee on August 5, 2011
Governor Signs Final Budget
Cuts more than $900 million from last year's education funding
The $27.149 billion General Fund budget represents a 3.4 percent decrease, or $962 million less, in spending from the 2010-2011 budget. The budget makes deep cuts and eliminates many education programs while leaving most of the $785 million surplus intact.
Funding to school districts is cut by more than $900 million. While all districts are hard hit by this budget, the greatest adverse impact will be felt by the poorer districts across the state. Major cuts include:
- Basic Education funding ($5,354,629,000) was cut by $421.5 million or 7.3 percent from the current year.
- Accountability Block Grants were funded at $100 million, down by $159 million or 61 percent. The funding for ABGs was appropriated from reserve funds. $50 million was appropriated by the Governor from the General Fund, with the remaining $50 million from House and Senate surplus.
- Funding for Reimbursement to School Districts for Charter School Expenses, funded last year at $224 million, was eliminated.
- Funding for dual enrollment, Science: It’s Elementary, Education Assistance Program, School Improvement grants and Intermediate Units was also eliminated.
Other education and education-related items in the state budget include the following:
- Funding for special education in the amount of $1,026,815,000 was maintained at the 2010-2011 level. The appropriation continues the set aside for extraordinary special education expenses at 1 percent of the appropriation, or $10,263,000.
- Appropriations for Career and Technical Education, PA Charter Schools for the Deaf and Blind, and Approved Private Schools were level funded.
- Public Library Subsidies were cut by 2 percent to $$53.507 million.
- Teacher Professional Development cut by two-thirds to $ $7.177 million.
- Adult and Family Literacy was cut by 17.5 percent to $12.289 million.
- Head Start Supplemental and Pre-K Counts were reduced by about 3 percent.
Pa School Funding Campaign Expresses Dismay over Final Budget
:PLUS Exec Director calls budget short-sighted, irresponsible, and misguided
STATE EDUCATION BUDGET MAKES SEVERE CUTS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
The hardship in state budget will fall on children and local property taxpayers, especially in the highest poverty school districts
HARRISBURG—(June 30, 2011)—The Pennsylvania School Funding Campaign (PSFC) expressed dismay today over the final $27.15 billion budget for fiscal year 2011-12. The budget includes cuts of nearly $930 million for public education and significantly hurts children and their opportunities for academic achievement, although it restores about $254 million to the Governor’s original budget proposal.
The budget adopted today restores some funding to the Governor’s proposals for the basic education subsidy and accountability block grants. But the budget still slashes hundreds of millions of dollars from those programs and completely eliminates funding for tutoring services for students who are struggling, high school reform, college tuition for high school students, the state’s largest science education program, and reimbursement of school district charter school costs.
“Although the legislature has voted to restore some of Governor Corbett’s original $1.1 billion in funding cuts to public schools, it is important to remember that a significant cut to education remains. Many children will struggle as a result,” said Ron Cowell, president of The Education Policy and Leadership Center and PSFC spokesman. PSFC comprises over 30 statewide and regional education and advocacy organizations.
“These cuts threaten to halt and even reverse the strong improvements in academic achievement we have seen in the last several years. In the fall, our children will return to school facing larger class sizes, fewer full-day kindergarten opportunities, less tutoring, and fewer elective courses in high school,” Cowell added.
Despite the state’s more than half billion dollar surplus this year and a like amount expected next year, many of the state’s school districts, particularly the poorest ones, must resort to drastic measures to absorb cuts in state aid. These include raising local taxes, cutting instructional programs, laying off teachers and other staff, closing buildings and, in some cases, even considering a four-day school week.
“With a state revenue surplus already above a half billion dollars, the state should be funding K-12 education at levels that will continue the academic progress of every student,” said Jim Buckheit, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators. “A reduced investment in public education will affect the future of the entire state for years to come. A strong education system is required to prepare an educated, skilled workforce and to prevent social ills in the future.”
“We know how to ensure that all children achieve at high levels,” said Beth Olanoff, executive director of the Pennsylvania League of Urban Schools. “The improvements in academic achievement of Pennsylvania students over the past eight years prove that. Those who say that investment in education doesn’t matter are fooling themselves.” Olanoff noted that in the past several years student proficiency has increased from 57.6 percent to 76.3 percent in math and from 65.6 percent to 72.0 percent in reading. She stressed that these improvements were distributed across all grade levels and student groups.
The budget abandons a funding formula established by the General Assembly three years ago. During that time, the formula has begun to provide adequate funding for students in the lowest-spending districts. Students supported by adequate funding perform better on state tests than those with insufficient resources.
“This year’s education budget cuts represent a horrible precedent—setting our investment in schools backwards,” said Joe Bard, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools. “They will damage our children’s education in the fall and severely weaken it for years to come if the funding is not fully restored in next year’s budget.”
In addition to the harmful impact on the academic success of Pennsylvania children, the budget will increase school district dependency on local property taxes to support schools. Pennsylvania homeowners already pay relatively high property taxes because state government contributes a smaller share of education costs than almost all other states. This local tax burden disproportionately affects children and taxpayers in the poorest school districts.
“The bottom line is that our children – all of our children – are Pennsylvania’s future. To skimp on our investment in their education is to shortchange their prospects for success and our own as citizens of the state,” said Olanoff. “That is short-sighted, irresponsible, and misguided public policy.”
PLUS press conference May 18, 2011
Superintendents condemn discriminatory impact of budget proposals
Better Choices press conference features PLUS member Dr. Eric Holmes in April 6 in Harrisburg.
Superintendent of York City SD calls attention to serious cuts in staff and programs required by proposed cuts.
Harrsiburg, PA - April 6 - With a pie in one hand and a list of tax loopholes in the other, advocates called on state lawmakers today to reject budget plans that will hurt middle class families and drive up local property taxes.
After the Capitol press conference, they stopped by the offices of all 253 legislators with a pie and a message: Rather than passing on higher costs to Pennsylvania families, let's grow the revenue pie by closing tax loopholes.
"It is time for this Governor and the Legislature to close tax loopholes and end tax breaks that we simply can no longer afford," said Sharon Ward, Director of the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.
Dr. Eric Holmes, acting superintendent of the York City School District and PLUS member, called attention to the drastic cuts on staff and educational programs in his district which will result from the proposed budget. " As the budget is proposed now, we would have to eliminate or furlough close to 25% of our teaching staff. We would be losing programs such as elementary art, elementary PE and guidance.
"We certainly will not be able to provide the same level of services that we have in the past and students will suffer for that," he said.
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