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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2023 - 2024
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | April 25, 2023 11:02 AM |
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| From: | Representative Joe Ciresi |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Level Up for Equitable School Funding |
| A good education is the foundation that can open the door to a better future and lifelong opportunities. Unfortunately, because of our state’s inequitable school funding system, access to a good education can be a challenge for students living in severely underfunded school districts. The ruling in the education funding lawsuit by the Commonwealth Court this year made it clear that the status quo is unconstitutional and is failing too many of our children and communities. Pennsylvania has made progress in leveling the playing field and providing much-needed resources for public education, starting with the enactment of a weighted formula for Basic Education Funding (BEF) based on need in 2016, and following up on that with gradual increases in state education funding. Level Up supplemental funding, accelerating funding toward the 100 most underfunded school districts, has been a major benefit to those communities, many with higher at-risk populations and lower tax bases, since it was implemented in FY 2021-2022 and expanded in 2022-2023. Level Up has been a meaningful step forward on the path to equitable school funding, and the funding has gone to the districts identified as having the highest need and the fewest resources to meet them. For the 1.6 million Pennsylvania households and approximately 109,000 children that have been helped by it, the funding means safer and healthier learning environments, expanded academic opportunities, better access to technology, and more. Level Up has been one of our best tools for reducing inequity in education and ensuring all students have the opportunities to succeed, regardless of zip code. But without additional funding for Level Up, it will take decades or more for our underfunded school districts to reach adequate funding – too long for our children to wait. That is why I plan to introduce legislation to continue our progress and increase Level Up funding to $400 million for FY 2023-2024. This investment will be another step toward meeting our state’s obligations to all of our children, provide relief to communities that have pushed their local tax bases to their limit, and strengthen our future workforce, communities, and potential. Please join me in co-sponsoring this important legislation to accelerate the path to adequacy and equity for our most underfunded school districts. |
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| View Attachment | ||
Introduced as HB1311