UPDATE 2-21-2022: The trial for the school funding lawsuit is expected to conclude in early March. Then the judge will deliberate on her decision for months before issuing a decision. This is the perfect time for advocates to be raising awareness of Pennsylvania’s inequitable, inadequate and unconstitutional school funding system by bringing a resolution in support of the school funding litigation to your school board..
Between now and June 30, school boards will be doing the hard hard work of balancing their school district budgets for the 2022-2023 school year and state legislators will be in Harrisburg deciding how much funding our schools will receive.
Help focus the conversation happening in your school board meetings and in your community away from divisive topics and onto what matters most: ensuring that students have the resources they need in their classrooms to be successful in school.
Ask your school board to pass a resolution in support of the school funding lawsuit.
The trial for Pennsylvania’s school funding lawsuit began on November 12th. This lawsuit creates a once in a generation opportunity to break the logjam in Harrisburg that has held in place an inequitable and inadequate school funding system. It offers the promise of changing the trajectory of the lives of Pennsylvania students for years to come.
Public education advocates play a critical role in raising awareness of the school funding problem in our communities and helping parents and community members advocate for a solution from our state lawmakers in Harrisburg.
Proposing the resolution at a public meeting will get people talking about the lawsuit, the issue of inequitable school funding and heavy reliance on property taxes to fund schools in Pennsylvania, and the need for Pennsylvania’s legislature to take action to fix their broken system. This is the conversation we need to be having in our school board meetings.
If you would like additional support before going to a board meeting, click HERE to register for a quick call on Tuesday, November 30th at 7:00 pm to walk through how to ask your board to pass this resolution.
NOTE:
***Any organization can pass this resolution–the alumni association of a school, a PTA, a PTO, an HSA, a borough council, a church congregation or civic organization, and the list goes on. Please consider asking one of these organizations to pass a resolution, too!***
We will start posting resolutions that have been passed on our website soon!
Thank you for your support of public education. If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me. Our team is happy to help in any way with this process.
Best,
Susan Spicka, Executive Director, Education Voters of PA
How to ask your school board to pass a resolution in support of the school funding lawsuit
Option 1: Attending the meeting in person
BEFORE THE MEETING
- Check your school board’s public comment policy. Typically, there will be a time for public comment on non-agenda items.
- Fill out this form to request copies of this 2-page school funding lawsuit explainer. We will mail these to you along with small slips of paper that detail how underfunded your school district is.
- Write your comments (HERE are draft comments you can use).
- Find the email for the school board secretary and email her the following information:
- A request to make public comment and a copy of your comments, which include the “ask” of the board to consider passing the resolution in support of the school funding lawsuit.
- Here is a sample email text: Dear school board secretary. I live in the district and am writing to ask that the school board consider passing the attached resolution, which demonstrates support for Pennsylvania’s school funding lawsuit. Please share my attached public comment with board members. Thank you very much.
- The 2-page document from Fund Our Schools PA about the school funding lawsuit
- The 2-page document with the school board resolution and instructions
- (Optional) The graphic for your district from www.FundOurSchoolsPA.org that shows how underfunded your school district is.
AT THE MEETING
- Arrive early and bring the Fund Our Schools PA 2-pager with you.
- Stand outside of the doors where people will enter for the meeting and give them a handout.
- Bring a copy of your comments.
- Make your comments during the public comment period and ask the board to pass the resolution in support of the school funding lawsuit.
Option 2: Not attending the meeting
- Find the email for the school board secretary.
- Email her the following and ask her to share this information with the superintendent and all school board members
- Your comments, which include the “ask” of the board to consider passing the resolution in support of the school funding lawsuit (see above)
- The 2-page document from Fund Our Schools PA about the school funding lawsuit
- The 2-page document with the school board resolution and instructions
- (Optional) The graphic for your district from www.FundOurSchoolsPA.org that shows how underfunded your school district is.
- Check the school board agenda for upcoming meetings to learn if your board will be considering the resolution.