Some PA peeps think the state's education funding system smells worse than the moldy science experiment in the back of your fridge. 🤢 Because the system relies heavily on property taxes, some lawmakers wanted to re-do the rules to make things better for disadvantaged areas. ⚖️
According to a rule that dropped this past February, the funding system was officially deemed unconstitutional. Others don't agree with this ruling and were pushing for an appeal, however, that's not happening. 🤷
Here’s Five Fast Facts on the school funding ruling drama:
- 📢 Go On and Sue Me - Back in 2014, the state was sued on behalf of six school districts, seven parents, the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools (PARSS) and the NAACP Pennsylvania State Conference. Their main gripe? The public school funding system was hurting the state's poorest districts who don't have the same taxpayer contributions as wealthier areas.
- 🚨 Violation Alert - The ruling specifically stated that the funding system of PA public schools "violates the constitutional rights of students in poorer school districts, lawyers for the districts, and groups that sued." Lawmakers had until last weekend to file the appeal and they didn't.
- 🎒 Taking My Business Elsewhere - PA's Republican leaders of the House and Senate opposed the lawsuit and said money alone won't fix the challenges faced by the state's public school system. However, they let the deadline to appeal slide on by. They're also fans of "school choice" AKA using taxpayer dollars to pay for students to attend private and religious schools instead, which is a hot button topic.
- 🏫 Full Agreement - The state's Democratic leaders, including Governor Shapiro, supported the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. They presented evidence that schools are underfunded by a whopping $4.6 billion. That amount also doesn't include the lack of funding for special education and school buildings.
- 🤓 The Fine Print - If you're interested in reading more about the case, check out the School Funding Lawsuit page from the Public Interest Law Center website.
🔥Bottom line: At the end of the day, money talks. Regardless of your views, the public school system will likely need major funding from somewhere to put a dent in all of the problems. Where that money comes from is what's up for debate. Speaking of rulings, catch yourself up on the latest push for legal weed in PA.
What do you think of the PA public school system?
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