As Pennsylvania’s 2026-2027 state budget continues to be finalized, discussions about education funding are once again taking center stage in Harrisburg.
A few weeks ago, PA Schools Work released a new report highlighting what adequacy funding actually looks like inside Pennsylvania classrooms. The report features interviews with more than 40 superintendents from every corner of the Commonwealth who shared how the state’s first investment in adequacy funding is already making a difference for students.
So what are schools actually investing in?
Across Pennsylvania, districts have used adequacy funding to address the needs they’ve identified locally, not according to a one-size-fits-all mandate.
The report found that 87% of adequacy funding has been invested in eight major categories, including:
- Academic Performance of Students
- Early Childhood & Kindergarten
- STEM & Foundational Academic Supports
- Charter School Tuition Increase
- College & Career Readiness
- Student Well-being & Support Services
- Targeted English Learner Support
- Class Size Reduction (K-3)
For example:
- The Chambersburg Area School District used funding to lower counselor-to-student ratios, expand literacy supports, and create internship opportunities for students. The district reports lower dropout rates, a 40% reduction in high school discipline incidents, and improved early literacy outcomes.
- The Lehighton Area School District reduced K-5 class sizes from approximately 26 students to 20 while adding social workers in every building. The district also reported significant improvements in early literacy.
- The Shippensburg Area School District used funding to maintain full-day kindergarten, expand English learner services, and begin building new career and technical education opportunities for students.
These stories are echoed in communities across rural, suburban, and urban Pennsylvania, where districts are already seeing measurable improvements made possible through adequacy funding.
As lawmakers continue budget negotiations, it’s worth remembering that these investments aren’t simply line items in a spending plan.
They are reading specialists helping struggling students catch up. They are school counselors supporting students’ mental health. They are smaller class sizes, expanded career pathways, stronger literacy instruction, and opportunities that many communities simply could not provide without additional state support.
When we talk about adequacy funding, we’re talking about ensuring every child, regardless of their ZIP code, has access to the educational opportunities they deserve.