Yesterday, Democratic leaders brought a state budget totaling $50.25 billion to the floor in the Pennsylvania House and it passed with bipartisan support, 105-98.

Click HERE to see how your state representative voted.

This budget includes:

• A fully-funded second installment ($565 million increase) of adequacy and tax equity payments that take another step toward meeting the state’s constitutional obligation to public schools.
  • Districts that do not receive adequacy supplements will receive $50,000 each.
  • The local share calculation is removed from the adequacy formula, which increases the adequacy funding for some districts.

• $105 million increase for Basic Education Funding.

• $40 million increase for Special Education Funding.

• $175 million in estimated savings to school districts from cyber charter funding reform.
  • Savings are achieved through adjustments to deductions districts make to their tuition calculations on the PDE-363 form.
  • There is a net savings of $75 million to districts after the $100 million cyber charter transition line item in the state budget is eliminated.

• $125 million for school facilities.

• $100 million for school safety and mental health grants.

• $9.5 million increase for Pre-K Counts.

• $5 million increase for the Public Library Subsidy.

• $28.5 million or 7.1% increase for Early Intervention (3-5 year olds).

Click HERE to see how much funding your district would receive if the PA Senate supports this budget.

We are thrilled that the House remains steadfast in its commitment to meeting the state’s constitutional obligation to public schools. We also recognize that the proposed cyber charter savings are less than we had hoped for.

The reality is that incredibly powerful special interests are swarming the Capitol halls, lobbying and fighting tooth and nail against any reforms to cyber charter school funding.

We need to put the full force of our advocacy efforts behind achieving the proposed $175 million in cyber charter tuition savings as part of the budget deal this year to take a meaningful step toward the reforms we need.

Many senators remain steadfastly opposed to any cyber charter funding reforms at all. Our work advocating for the $175 million in proposed cyber charter savings is more important now than ever.

The ball is in the court of the PA Senate and they need to act without delay.

We have passed 100 days in this budget impasse and our schools are facing serious challenges that are negatively impacting students and taxpayers.

• Districts cannot finalize hiring decisions for the academic year.
• Essential facility improvements remain on hold.
• Many schools are considering cutting programs that benefit our children. 
• Some districts have been forced to take out expensive lines of credit that will result in local property tax dollars being spent on interest payments instead of services for students.

Please contact your senator today and urge them to immediately pass the bipartisan House budget. It is past time for Harrisburg to stop playing politics and pass a budget that funds our schools.

Thank you for your continued support of public education.

Best,

Susan Spicka, Executive Director, Education Voters of PA

PS: Click HERE to read a City and State story that digs into the cyber charter reform issue.