The Importance of Fair School Funding

7 to 1

For every one dollar invested in early childhood education, seven dollars are returned to the local economy.

Money matters in education, and children attending well-resourced schools perform better on achievement tests. However, Pennsylvania’s current education budget still falls short of what we need to adequately fund our schools.While Pennsylvania passed a statewide funding formula to more equitably distribute funds across school districts, the current budget will prevent schools from making important long-term investments to improve student performance and address structural inequalities. Smaller class sizes, more robust early childhood education, teacher development, arts programming and after-school activities in schools are all correlated to better student achievement and student outcomes. Increased funding is necessary to provide such resources to Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable students and close achievement gaps. The Education Law Center has long been a leading statewide advocate for more adequate and equitable state funding, and will continue to be a leading voice in this work.

Fact Sheet

Pennsylvania School Funding Litigation: Frequently Asked Questions

The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, Public Interest Law Center, and the law firm O’Melveny have joined together to file...Read More

More

Analysis

A Decade of Shortchanging Children With Disabilities

For the past decade, expenditures for educating students with disabilities in Pennsylvania have been climbing steadily, mirroring a national trend....Read More

More

Current Law & Policy

Testimony on the Need for Adequate, Equitable Funding – to the Pa. House Democratic Policy Committee (9/1/21)

Education Law Center executive director Deborah Gordon Klehr presented testimony on Pennsylvania school funding policy to the Pennsylvania House Democratic...Read More

More