Education Voters of PA, like many other small non-profit organizations, works with a fiscal sponsor, a larger organization that provides services and supports that allow us to focus on our mission rather than on bookkeeping and administrative duties. I am pleased to share that Education Voters of PA recently formalized our fiscal sponsor relationship with the Keystone Research Center (KRC), the parent organization of Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center (PBPC).We are very excited about this new partnership given the work we will need to do in PA to ensure that our legislature will support a state budget that is in line with the priorities of Pennsylvanians, specifically substantially increasing funding for public schools.

We are also very grateful to the Schott Foundation for Public Educationfor their many years of support as our fiscal sponsor. Schott has been on the front lines fighting for fully-resourced public Pre-K-12 education throughout the nation and we look forward to continuing to partner with them on PA projects.

In other exciting news, this week the school funding lawsuit moved one step closer to trial!

As you know, Representative Mike Turzai and Senator Joe Scarnati, Republican leaders of the PA House and Senate, oppose allowing PA’s school children to have their day in court. In January, they filed preliminary objections with the Commonwealth Court in an attempt to stall the case from moving forward.  This week, the Court dismissed a few of the objections (great news!) and ordered the parties in the lawsuit to address two issues before a full trial begins.

Importantly, the Court dismissed the argument that the families, school districts, and organizations that brought the lawsuit had failed to prove that the current school funding system harms students.  The connection between grossly inadequate school funding and the harm experienced by students is obvious. State lawmakers can’t hide the crumbling buildings, crowded classrooms, and absence of materials and supports for students that are the result of the state’s grossly inadequate and inequitable school funding system.

Before a full trial, the Court ordered parties to address two issues brought by Republican leaders. First, both sides must address Representative Turzai’s argument that education is not an important or fundamental right. Second, they must address Senator Scarnati’s argument that the lawsuit is moot because the new school funding formula has fixed Pennsylvania’s chronic school funding problem.

To be clear, Republican leaders who control the PA General Assembly are arguing that PA children do NOT have a fundamental right to an education and they are defending the current school funding system, which leaves hundreds of thousands of children without basic resources, such as books and teachers.  

If you are appalled by legislative leaders’ arguments, you’re not alone.

A recent poll commissioned by our new organizational partner, the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center, demonstrates that legislative leaders’ opposition to fully funding PA’s public school is at odds with the priorities of Pennsylvanians of all political persuasions.

A strong majority of respondents to the poll, 83%, said that “fully funding K-12 public schools” should be a priority for the state legislature, with 59% saying it should be a *top* priority.

This support for fully funding public schools transcends political affiliation.

Specifically 93% self-identified liberals, 91% of self-identified moderates, and 66% of self-identified conservatives cited “fully funding K-12 public schools” as a priority. In a separate question, only 12% of respondents said state government is spending too much on K-12 public education.

Read the full poll results HERE.

We are in the majority and the work we are doing together to build power and support for public education throughout PA will turn this ship around. We couldn’t be more excited about the opportunities that lie ahead to build new partnerships and to continue with you to fight for the best public education we can provide to all of our children here in PA.