Education
A 2023 court ruling found Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional due to inequities, resulting in a $5.1 billion shortfall in high-need districts.
We use the Fair Funding formula, and algorithm which directs state money equalizing funding for places with lower property taxes.
Senator Rothman did not effectively advocate for Cumberland Valley’s financing through this formula, whereupon the school was subsequently excluded from the algorithm and receives no supplement. This matters - it’s one of the reasons we need accountability in this district.
Governor Josh Shapiro’s latest budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year includes a $565 million increase directed through the adequacy formula, which would help to alleviate some of the burden experienced by districts with less property tax revenue. I support this and will endeavor to see our schools receive the funding they so critically require.
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The Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) exists to keep college within reach for everyday Pennsylvanians. Schools like Shippensburg University and West Chester University give students (especially first-generation and working-class ones) an affordable path to a degree. When PASSHE is strong, tuition stays lower and Pennsylvanians have more opportunities to gain the education they need to thrive. When it’s underfunded, students pay more and communities lose out.
Supporting PASSHE is more than an investment in education - it is an investment in economic growth, local communities, and equal opportunity across the state.
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Pennsylvania law requires districts to pay tuition to cyber charter schools for each resident student enrolled. These payments are based on district expenditures rather than the actual cost of providing online education, leading to significant financial impacts on local taxpayers and budgets. Currently, costs fluctuate between $7,000 to $25,000 per cyber charter student, and more than double that for special education students.
HB2370 would standardize cyber charter school tuition at $8,000 per student, which will save traditional districts an estimated $530 million. -
A 2023 court ruling found Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional due to inequities, resulting in a $5.1 billion shortfall in high-need districts.
In response, Governor Josh Shapiro’s latest budget proposal for the 2026-27 fiscal year includes $565 million increase in education spending directed through the adequacy formula, a mathematical plan to redistribute resources equitably to poorly-funded districts. This is a necessary step in the right direction.
“Genius without education is like silver in the mine.”