November 2007

ALERT!

Pennsylvania's Costing-out Study:
An Opportunity for Education Funding Reform

On November 14, 2007, Pennsylvania released its first-ever costing-out study.  The study is entitled, "Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet Pennsylvania's Public Education Goals." Click here to download a copy.

The study presents an historic opportunity to improve education for children with disabilities, English language learners, students in poverty, and other traditionally disadvantaged students.  The Education Law Center, along with many partners, advocated for the study to be performed.  We now encourage you to learn more about the study – public forums are listed below – and to ask your state legislators and the Governor to use the study results for reforming the state funding system for public schools.

Please attend public forums about the study, sponsored by the State Board of Education and featuring the consultants who performed the study.  Click here for details.

7:00 p.m., Tuesday, November 27 in Delaware and Luzerne Counties
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 28 in Philadelphia and Lancaster Counties
7:00 p.m., Wednesday, December 5 in Clearfield County
7:00 p.m., Thursday, December 6 in Allegheny County

The costing-out study was designed to understand what it costs for all students in Pennsylvania public schools – no matter where they live – to receive a quality education allowing them to meet state standards for academic achievement.  By understanding these costs, the state can adjust its funding system to close the gap between high-spending and low-spending school districts.  These gaps cause local tax pressures in many communities, especially on property taxes.

The major findings of the study include the following:

• An average increase of $2,545 per student per year is needed for all students to reach Pennsylvania’s academic proficiency and performance expectations.

• 474 of Pennsylvania 501 school districts are currently spending below the levels recommended by the costing out study.  1.68 million students attend these under-funded schools.

• In total, Pennsylvania must increase education spending by $4.61 billion per year over current levels – a 26.8 percent increase – in order to meet established performance standards.

• Pennsylvania’s current state funding system is inequitable. Districts with higher wealth and lower student needs spend more per student than lower wealth districts with higher student needs.

The study was commissioned and funded by the General Assembly in June 2006. It was supervised and released by the State Board of Education.  It was performed by a national consulting firm - Augenblick, Palaich and Associates of Denver, Colorado.

Contact your state legislators and the Governor today.  Ask them to create a statewide Funding Reform Commission to use the results of the costing-out study and make real reforms to the state system for funding public schools.  The Commission is currently proposed in both Senate Resolution 210 and House Resolution 460.   Click here to find your state legislators by zip code.  Click here for the Governor.

For background information about school funding issues and how you can get involved, click here to check out the website for the Education Law Center.

To read the full costing-out study and related information, click here. And don't forget to attend one of the public forums!

For more information, visit our website at www.elc-pa.org or contact:
Baruch Kintisch (215-238-6970 x 320)
Sandy Zelno (412-255-6414)

WE NEED YOUR HELP

The costing-out study was the outcome we worked so hard for this year.  We couldn’t have achieved this success without the help of our loyal supporters.  Now that we have the information we need, the real work begins.  Won’t you help us make sure all children in Pennsylvania have the education they need and deserve? To make a donation, click here.

You can also help ELC by designating all or part of your United Way Gift to us through the Donor Option Program. Forms are available at your work place.

ELC's United Way Donor Option code number is 1873 in the Philadelphia region and 4547 in Allegheny County.