Issue Brief
Education Finance Reform
Background
Pennsylvania continues to have one of
the nation's most ineffective and unjust
statewide funding systems for elementary
and secondary education.
As a result of insufficient state
funding, public education in
Pennsylvania is very dependent on local
wealth; and the access to quality
education for children varies widely.
Like
most other states, Pennsylvania has
adopted statewide student-learning
standards as part of its strategy for
creating more effective and positive
student outcomes. However, until
recently state lawmakers have never
determined how they might structure a
funding system that helps schools
achieve high academic standards. As
a start, Pennsylvania performed a
“costing-out study” to obtain objective
information on how to fund public
education so that all students have a
real opportunity to meet the learning
standards. In late 2006, the
Pennsylvania State Board of Education
embarked on “a comprehensive statewide
costing out study to arrive at a
determination of the basic cost per
pupil to provide an education that will
permit a student to meet the State’s
academic standards and assessments.
The results of the PA “costing-out
study” reveal that there is an average
funding gap across the state of $2,414
per student.
In many districts, however, that gap is
much greater, including Reading
($6,437), Upper Darby ($4,388),
Shenandoah Valley ($4,286) and Saint
Marys ($3,145). With these kinds of
funding shortfalls the youth of
Pennsylvania will not be prepared for
success in today’s world. (You may
contact the LAMPa office for specific
information about the funding gap for
specific school districts.)
The study,
which was conducted by
Augenblick, Palaich and Associates,
Inc and released in late 2007,
identified the statewide “adequacy gap”
that exists - $4.38 billion, with the
state share of that at just over $2
billion. It also determined that the
“average total costing out estimate per
student is $11,926” with a base cost
identified as $8,003. 471 of the 501 PA
school districts are currently spending
below the cost estimated (the
$11,926).
Beyond
identifying a base cost, the study
factored in “added costs” associated
with special education, high poverty
homes and meeting the needs of English
language learners. The study indicated
that these added costs account for 12.6
percent of the overall projected costs
to move toward adequacy.
The
Study projected the total $4 billion
plus costs would break out in the
following way:
-
$2.7
billion for special education,
-
$2.0
billion for students in poverty,
-
$580.2 million for English language
learners,
-
$205.8 million for gifted students,
-
$783.8 million for regional cost
differences, and
-
$837.2 million for small school
districts
The Study
outlined expectations on school districts to
ensure that any new resources would be
directed toward “evidence-based research”
initiatives including:
-
Target
funding for students with special needs
-
Reduce
class size, especially in early grades,
and add counselors, nurses,
instructional facilitators, tutors, and
security personnel
-
Implement full-day kindergarten
-
Expand
the school day and summer school for low
performing students
-
Target
professional development, including
training for principals
-
Expand
the use of technology and associated
training for teachers
In
response to the “costing-out study”, bills
have been introduced in the House (HB 2449)
and Senate (SB 1338) that would begin to
address these funding inequities in a
systematic way.
If passed, the bills will ensure that a
school district’s funding needs are
determined by a formula that takes into
account such factors as enrollment, number
of low-income students and English language
learners, district size, and regional cost
differences. The newly established funding
formula will be based on the principles of
accountability, adequacy, efficiency, equity
and predictability – the same principles
outlined by the National Council of State
Legislatures as essential for a sound school
funding formula.
Additionally, the proposed formula would
include measures to ensure that the
increased funds would be used in ways that
best lead to improvements for students.
These measures include extended school day,
reducing class size, expansion of Pre-K and
full-day Kindergarten, and efforts to
guarantee qualified teachers and
principals. Most importantly, the proposal
takes seriously the fact that different
students have different needs.
ELCA
Policy Base
(Our
Calling in Education, 2007)
The belief
that “all are created in God’s image, all
have equal worth and dignity and should be
treated accordingly” stands behind our
strong support for our society’s expectation
that all young people have equitable access
to high quality schools. All students are
entitled to good schools; and when they
receive a high quality education, society
benefits...
“The ELCA’s
commitment to equitable access for all calls
us to attend to the glaring inequities in
this country’s schooling. The disturbing
reality persists that too many young people
do not have access to good public schools.
This reality is most pervasive in poor
communities, especially where poverty is
intertwined with a history of racism and
discrimination… Schools where a substantial
majority of students live in poverty
consistently represent schools with the
fewest resources and some of the lowest
performances…
“We, of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America,
therefore, commit ourselves to work with
others for public policies that boldly and
consistently push toward ensuring that all
students have equitable access to high
quality schools”
What
You Can Do:
Visit, call,
write and/or e-mail your State
Representative and State Senator to let them
know how important education finance reform
is to you. Specifically, you are encouraged
to…
-
Ask them to vote YES on HB 2449 and SB
1338
in order to support a school funding
formula that is adequate, equitable,
accountable, and efficient
June
2008
