10 Questions to ask about the
State Education Budget for 2009-10
The Education Law Center and Good Schools Pennsylvania, along with a number of other education policy and advocacy organizations, want to ensure legislators are asking the right questions about education funding during these critical budget negotiations.
Pennsylvania made historic progress last year in adopting a school funding formula that is based on a costing-out process. It’s important for legislators to address the following questions so taxpayers know the final education budget continues to support all students, including the most disadvantaged; strengthen schools; reduce property taxes; and revitalize communities.
CALCULATION OF FUNDING INCREASE
1. How is the state providing a $300 million increase in total basic education funding above 2008 - 09 levels?
Follow ups:
• Is it using state funding or federal stimulus funding (or both)?
• Why isn’t the state providing a larger increase – such as the $418 originally proposed – if available federal stimulus funding is being used for this purpose?
DISTRIBUTION OF FUNDING INCREASE
2. How will the $300 million increase in total basic education funding be distributed to school districts?
Follow ups:
• Through the funding formula adopted last year, as required by law (ARRA), so that disadvantaged districts receive a larger increase than others?
• Is the legislature also providing a minimum increase for even the wealthiest districts?
ROLL BACK CALCULATION
3. How much is state funding for basic education being rolled back?
Follow ups:
• Is this level of state funding being calculated separately to distinguish it from the use of federal stimulus funding to provide an increase in total basic education dollars?
• What is the specific nature of the federal stimulus funding being used to cover for the roll back?
• Is there a difference in the nature of this funding compared to the funding used to provide an increase in total basic education funding?
ROLL BACK DISTRIBUTION
4. How will any state funding rollbacks for basic education be distributed?
Follow ups:
• The same percentage for each school district or will some districts be rolled back more than others?
• Will disadvantaged districts be rolled back more or less than districts that are better off? (This issue could make a difference in future years when the rollback is restored to 2008-09 levels and higher.)
FUTURE RESTORATION
5. How will the state restore basic education funding to 2008-09 levels (and higher) after federal stimulus dollars are used up in future years?
Follow up:
• And if the state allows school districts to use stimulus dollars for ongoing programs and to avoid local property tax increases in 2009-10, how will the state itself provide this additional spending in future years in order to avoid property tax increases or local program cuts?
CUT IN STIMULUS
6. Will the state still distribute additional federal stabilization dollars through the Title I formula in 2009-10, as originally planned (in a separate line item from the basic education dollars)?
Follow ups:
• If this additional line item is cut or eliminated, how does this impact high-poverty school districts that may have counted on receiving these dollars?
• Why not provide these additional dollars if federal stimulus funding is available for this purpose?
RESERVED STIMULUS
7. Will the state reserve any federal stabilization dollars for the 2010-11 fiscal year?
Follow ups:
• If so, how much will be held in reserve?
• Why couldn’t some of these reserves have been used to cover the extreme loss of state revenue in the 2009-10 budget and thus maintain higher levels of total education funding?
• How will the reserved federal stabilization dollars be used next year?
OTHER STATE ROLL BACKS
8. Is state funding for special education, early childhood education, and other crucial programs at a lower level than originally planned for 2009-10?
Follow up:
• How will these cuts affect school districts and property tax levels?
LOCAL IMPACT
9. Will school districts be forced to increase local property taxes or cut programs to make up for revenue originally expected but not provided through the 2009-10 budget?
Follow up:
• How will students, teachers, and communities be affected?
FUTURE ADEQUATE FUNDING LEVELS
10. Does the state remain committed to phasing in adequate funding levels for all districts based on the new state basic education formula adopted in 2008, even if the recession has caused a delay in implementing the planned phase-in schedule?
Follow up:
• Can districts count on receiving this state relief from property tax pressures in future years, as promised and incorporated into state law?