"They know what the problems are - they just don't have the funding:" Basic Education Funding Commission wrapping up its hearings | |
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Left: Photos of specialists teaching students in hallways due to lack of space in Pennsylvania public schools. Shown during Oct. 5 testimony from architect Mike Kelly of the PA chapter of the American Institute of Architects to the Basic Education Funding Commission.
The Basic Education Funding Commission, a bipartisan panel of designees representing the General Assembly and Governor Shapiro, continued to gather testimony across Pennsylvania throughout October. Full video recordings of each hearing and details of upcoming hearings can be found on the commission's website.
Their hearings will conclude later this month. Before the next state budget season begins in February 2024, the commission must develop a plan for a constitutional public school funding system, responding to Commonwealth Court's decision in our school funding case. That new system must make sure every school district has the resources they need to fulfill their students' fundamental right to a public education that provides a meaningful opportunity to succeed civically, academically, and socially.
In Hazleton, the commission heard from Mike Kelly, of the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Institute of Architects, about the need for school buildings that are both safe and consider student learning needs. The biggest obstacle to providing that in Pennsylvania is a lack of funding: the state provides almost no reimbursement for school buildings, leaving low-wealth districts with few options as their facilities age. "You talk to the facilities director or the janitor of any building – they know what the problems are," Kelly told the commission. "They just don’t have the funding.” Watch his testimony here.
Funding gaps across the commonwealth in low-wealth school districts are immense, with more than 150 districts $4,000 short per student or more of sufficient funding for basic and special education. The Scranton Times-Tribune spoke with educators in some of Northeastern Pennsylvania's most deeply underfunded districts. "A student at Carbondale should be exposed to the same sorts of opportunities of any student in a well-to-do school," Superintendent Holly Sayre said.
Before a hearing in Pittsburgh, commission member State Senator Lindsey Williams summarized the testimony the panel has heard from educators and experts. “We're hearing that it's overdue that we invest this money in our public schools, and we're hearing that we need a large influx of funding in order to get to our adequacy and our equity goals for the state,” State Senator Williams told WESA.
Here are a few highlights of statewide press coverage:
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Pa.'s poor school districts 'triage' resources for students, superintendents note at House hearing - WESA, Oct. 6, 2023
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Poverty driving state funding shortfalls, as high as $10,000 per student, in NEPA schools - Scranton Times-Tribune, Oct. 7, 2023
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Lawmakers to hear from Pittsburgh experts as they work to fix Pa.’s K-12 school funding system - WESA, Oct. 10, 2023
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Commonwealth Court's decision precisely said Pennsylvania needs to provide additional resources to low-wealth school districts - Keystone Research Center, Oct. 11, 2023
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This Week in Pennsylvania: Trying to fix unfair school funding - ABC 27, Oct. 13, 2023
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Philadelphia students navigate school without access to school libraries - Penn Capital-Star, Oct. 24, 2023
All public hearings will be livestreamed--see the list below for times and locations for upcoming hearings.
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Thursday, November 9, Bedford. 10:00 AM, Bedford High School Auditorium, 330 East John Street, Bedford, PA.
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Thursday, November 16, Harrisburg. 10:00 AM, North Office Building, Hearing Room 1, Capitol Complex, Harrisburg, PA.
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Stand up for strong public schools: Send a comment to the Basic Education Commission | |
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The Basic Education Funding Commission would like to hear from Pennsylvania parents, students, educators and taxpayers. Please consider sending the commission a brief comment through their online form.
Together, we can make it clear to the Basic Education Funding Commission that Pennsylvanians demand a constitutional school funding system. A system in which public school funding is based on what students need, not what their communities can afford.
Write about your experience in Pennsylvania public schools, and make sure to note your home school district. Our friends at Education Voters PA have drafted a few sample comments for your reference. Thank you for advocating for strong public schools in every community.
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Join us and PA Schools Work in Harrisburg Nov. 14 to demand a constitutional school funding system | |
Join us in Harrisburg on November 14th with PA Schools Work to demonstrate powerful support for a constitutional school funding system. Supporters of public education from across Pennsylvania will gather on the Capitol steps to call on the Basic Education Funding Commission to respond to the court's decision. That means developing a plan, in time for next state budget season, for an adequate, equitable and constitutional public school funding system--one that meets the needs of students in every community. Find out more and invite your friends on Facebook!
We have the best chance in a generation to fix Pennsylvania’s unconstitutional school funding system. Stand with us to make sure the Basic Education Funding Commission, our General Assembly, and the Governor seize this moment.
What: Basic Education Funding Commission Final Exam
Where: State Capitol Building Steps, Harrisburg
When: Tuesday, November 14, at noon.
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Asbestos closes Southwark Elementary School in South Philadelphia | |
On October 27, School District of Philadelphia officials announced that Southwark Elementary School will be closed for several weeks. Students will be relocated to South Philadelphia High School during the closure, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
"It hit home on several levels for [Law Center senior attorney] Dan Urevick-Acklesberg, father of a Southwark student — and a lawyer who represented plaintiffs in the landmark lawsuit that resulted in a Commonwealth Court judge ruling Pennsylvania’s school-funding system is illegal," Kristen Graham reported.
Southwark’s closure, Urevick-Acklesberg said, is “insane, and it’s also unconstitutional. It’s just one more instance of the reality of decades of disinvestment. It just happens to be at my own child’s school.”
In Commonwealth Court's February 7 school funding decision, safe school facilities were listed as one of several essential components of a public education that meets constitutional standards. “This is a now-or-never moment," Urevick-Ackelsberg said.
"Either this is the start of a real solution that’s enacted in the upcoming budget cycle, or we will be back in court.” Read more in the Inquirer.
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Law Center in the News: Standing up for community green spaces | |
On October 31, our Garden Justice Legal Initiative helped convene a roundtable conversation between community gardeners and mayoral candidate Cherelle Parker, held at Las Parcelas Community Garden in North Philadelphia. WHYY covered the conversation about the threats facing community green space in Philadelphia. The conversation was also featured in a New York Times story covering the Philadelphia mayor's race.
"Gardeners cite development pressure as a threat to many vacant lots where food is grown," Sophia Schmidt reported. "In 2020, planners, farmers, and organizers estimated that one in three of Philly’s farms and gardens were in areas of the city with a high intensity of new construction." Read more here.
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Board members speak out: Charles Lange on the Law Center's impact | |
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In our occasional series, “Board Members Speak Out,” we collect stories and testimonials from members of our board of directors about why our work matters to them.
Charles Lange, an associate attorney with Faegre Drinker, joined the Law Center’s board of directors in 2022.
"Coming from a family of public educators, I was excited to share the Law Center’s updates on the PA school funding case as they happened, and was proud of the monumental impact a fair public school funding system could have for students across the Commonwealth," he wrote. "The Law Center’s focus on driving broad-based change through high-impact legal strategies resonated with me, and I am continually impressed with the dedication and hard work in all their efforts." Read more from Charles here.
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Election Day is Tuesday, November 7! | |
Election Day is tomorrow, Tuesday, November 7! Find your polling place here. If you still need to return a mail-in ballot, you have options--read this guide from PoliticsPA to learn more.
The Law Center is proud to be part of the team behind the national election protection hotline, 866-OUR-VOTE, led by the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. Call or text this hotline with any voting questions or concerns.
We continue to work to protect the right to vote in Pennsylvania, most recently winning a case in Delaware County affirming the critical role of provisional ballots. This work is part of the the Jeffrey Golan & Frances Vilella-Vélez Voting Justice Project.
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