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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2017 - 2018
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | July 16, 2018 04:19 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Lisa M. Boscola |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Expediting the Fair Funding Formula for Education |
In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation to gradually reallocate our state’s practice of how we distribute education funding. My proposal will expedite the allocation of basic education and special education money through the 2014-15 funding formula that was bipartisanly and unanimously approved by the Basic Education Funding Commission. While I understand that we cannot do this overnight, we need to find additional solutions to address the ‘hold harmless’ provision that was established many years ago. My legislation seeks to expedite the use of the funding formula incrementally over a 4-year period. Year one would establish that 25% of all education dollars would be distributed through the new Fair Funding formula, with 75% continuing to be allotted through the Basic Education Formula. Year 2 would increase to 50%/50%, year 3 to 75%/25% and ultimately by year 4 it will reach 100% through the fair funding formula. 8 out of the 9 school districts in my Senatorial district are underfunded, and 9 out of 9 are underfunded in the area of special education. These underfunded school districts either make cuts to needed education programs and/or increase local property taxes to make up the difference. We simply can’t afford to knowingly underfund our school districts in this Commonwealth. I invite you to join me in co-sponsoring this legislation. |
Introduced as SB1272