Funding Schools Fairly

Funding Schools Fairly: Highlights

The Governor's proposal - an exciting development

Governor Rendell has started the annual budget process by offering a proposal that would implement the costing-out study done by the General Assembly last year. If approved by the General Assembly in June 2008, the new system proposed by the Governor would take major steps toward distributing state resources to the students and schools that are most in need.

You can help move this process forward! Contact your legislators and let them know that you want them to improve the school funding system.

For contact information for your state Senator and Representative, visit the webpage of the General Assembly, and click on "Find members" in the upper right-hand corner. You may also want to review our PowerPoint, Tips on Meeting with Legislators.

For more information, check these FAQ's ...

What does the Governor's proposal say? Download a summary or a detailed description.
What is the costing-out study, and why was it done? Click here for information.
What did the costing-out study say about your school district's funding needs? The study includes a chart showing how much each district is spending and what additional amount, if any, is needed.
Why should parents of students with disabilities be concerned about these issues? Click here for answers.
Resolutions have been introduced to create a Joint School Finance Reform Commission. Why is this needed? Click here for ELC's views.

For additional help, contact Baruch Kintisch, Josh Varon or Sandy Zelno.

ELC'S POINT OF VIEW

ELC believes that Pennsylvania must create a system that provides every student, not just those in middle- and upper-income communities, with a fair shot at success. This requires, among other things, increasing the state share of public education costs. We must also join the many other states that have done studies to figure out the cost of a quality education, and designed funding systems that can produce the necessary amounts. We can no longer tolerate a funding system that - due to an over-dependence on local property taxes - gives children in different communities an unequal opportunity for academic success.