We learned on Monday, July 24th, that legislative leaders will not appeal the PA school funding lawsuit decision to the PA Supreme Court. The school funding decision stands!
Read the statement from the Education Law Center and Public Interest Law Center HERE.
WHAT ROLE CAN ADVOCATES PLAY IN ENSURING A CONSTITUTIONAL REMEDY?
Before, during and after the trial, Ed Voters worked with statewide partners in a “Thorough and Efficient” advocacy group to raise awareness in communities throughout the commonwealth of what is at stake with the school funding lawsuit and to build the public and political will for a remedy in Harrisburg that provides sufficient funding so ALL public school students have the resources they need to succeed.
We will be reconvening “Thorough and Efficient” advocacy and hope you, your networks, and your friends will join in! We have BIG PLANS!
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN NEXT?
We know there are gaps between the resources school districts have available and the level of resources they need to provide students with the comprehensive, effective, and contemporary public education that the Pennsylvania constitution demands.
Now that the judgment is final, Governor Shapiro and the General Assembly must immediately begin working together to ensure all school districts will have adequate funding.
This work includes developing quantifiable goals for investment for each of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts and implementing a system that will provide the funding necessary to fill these gaps for every single district in the commonwealth.
This work can begin in the state’s Basic Education Funding Commission, a 15-member group consisting of three members from each legislative caucus and three members of the governor’s administration.
The BEF Commission has been reconvened, but its meetings have been postponed because of the state budget impasse.
Look for update on the budget impasse from us later this week. Today (July 25th) we will be heading to Reading for a Senate Education Committee hearing on school vouchers. 👀👀