From the Campaign for Fair Education Funding (http://fairfundingpa.org/):
Add your voice to the growing number of Pennsylvanians who want lawmakers to fix the state’s broken school funding system, by sending a message to your state Senator and state Representative at http://salsa4.salsalabs.com/o/51238/p/dia/action3/common/public/?action_KEY=18950.
PA’s new fair funding formula for basic education is an important first step toward fixing Pennsylvania’s school funding crisis, but it is only as good as the money put through it. The next step is to make sure it’s properly funded, and here’s why:
- PA is ranked 46th in the country for its share of education funding – contributing only 36 percent, among the lowest in the nation.
- PA has the widest funding gap between wealthy and poor districts of any state in the country. Per-pupil spending in PA’s poorest districts is 33 percent less than in the wealthiest districts.
As a result students are losing opportunities to participate in valuable science, technology, and math programs; receive enough personal attention from their teachers or extra help when they need it; have access to vocational training; or participate in extracurricular activities.
The solution to this crisis is to increase the state’s investment in public schools annually over time, driven out through the fair formula, starting with an increase of $400 million in the 2016-17 budget. This will ensure that all students – no matter where they live – can succeed in school and meet the state’s academic standards.
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