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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for June 19, 2015:
Statewide Coverage/Reaction to Basic Education Funding Commission Report
Basic Education Funding
Commission Releases Recommendations and Report
Basic Education Funding Commission website June 18, 2015
The Basic Education
Funding Commission recommended today (June 18th) that the General
Assembly adopt a new formula for distributing state funding for basic education
to Pennsylvania ’s
500 school districts, according to a statement from the members of the
Commission. The Commission –
which was co-chaired by Senator Pat Browne and Representative Mike Vereb –
undertook an extensive and comprehensive study of a number of factors before
arriving ultimately at a consensus on a new formula that will benefit school
districts, parents and children. The 15-member group,
created through Act 51 of 2014 (sponsored as House Bill 1738 by Representative
Bernie O’Neill), held 15 hearings over 11 months and heard from a wide range of
experts and advocates in the education field, as well as parents, from urban,
suburban and rural school districts throughout the state. The Commission determined that allocation of
basic education funding needs to allow for accountability, transparency and
predictability. The main objective of the new funding formula is to fairly
distribute state resources according to various student and school district
factors. “The lack of a permanent state
funding formula for education has provided an unbalanced distribution of state
funding to school districts and does not match the needs to educate students in
some districts,” members of the Commission said. “All of this information the
commission received throughout the past year has allowed us to develop a
funding structure based on the actual costs involved in providing basic
education, including factors that require more than the normal level of funding
for a child.”
BEFC: We apologize, but the final report for the Basic
Education Funding Commission is not posted online yet. We expect to have it posted by early
afternoon on Friday, June 19th.
Basic Education Funding Commission website June 18, 2015
Draft Version Basic
Education Funding Commission report
This is a draft of
the Basic Education Funding Commission's report to the General Assembly. A
final version is expected to posted online Friday afternoon.
Gov. Wolf praises new plan
for doling out money to Pa.
Penn Live By Christian Alexandersen |
calexandersen@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 18, 2015 at 3:17 PM, updated June
18, 2015 at 3:30 PM
Gov. Tom Wolf met with
members of the Basic Education Funding Commission Thursday to praise a new,
proposed formula for distributing money to Pennsylvania 's 500 public school districts. The proposed funding formula, which has not
yet been passed by the Pennsylvania General Assembly,recognizes not just a
district's number of low-income students, but the number of students living at
the deepest level of poverty — below the federal poverty level — and the
proportion of the district's enrollment they represent. It would also consider a district's current
enrollment, addressing complaints from growing school districts, and for the first
time recognize a district's charter school costs, geographic size and financial
wherewithal to fund schools with local taxes.
Press release: Campaign
for Fair Education Funding Commends Basic Education Funding Commission on Developing School
Campaign for Fair
Education Funding Press Release June 18, 2015
"During the release of
the commission’s report, every member making comments lauded the
recommendations contained therein.
According to Chairman Pat Browne (R-Lehigh), the report’s likely success
in the legislature will come from the commission reflecting the diversity of Pennsylvania
Conditions already placed
on use of fairer education funding formula?
The PLS Reporter Author: Jason Gottesman/Thursday, June 18,
2015
Bipartisanship and
cheer abounded at the Capitol Thursday for those taking part in the bipartisan
Basic Education Funding Commission, which included representatives from all
four legislative caucuses and the governor’s office, when they unanimously
released their long-anticipated funding formula recommendations and other
education funding suggestions. The
commission’s recommended funding formula was described as taking into account
both student-based and district-based factors that are aimed at providing
funding that is truly representative of a district’s needs and unique situation. However, while many are anticipating swift
action on legislative implementation of the commission’s recommendations, some
are already putting preconditions on when it would be best to implement the new
funding formula.
Panel: Education funding needs to be based on 'equity,
fairness'
By Steve
Esack and Jacqueline
Palochko f The Morning Call June 19, 2015
Allentown, Bethlehem, Easton
By Lynn Olanoff | For lehighvalleylive.com Follow on Twitter on June 18, 2015 at 5:30 PM,
updated June 18, 2015 at 5:47 PM
The Allentown ,
Bethlehem and Easton school districts should receive more
state funding under a new formula approved Thursday by a bipartisan panel of
state lawmakers. The formula, endorsed
by the Basic Education Funding Commission, would give more funding to districts
with high percentages of children living below the federal poverty level and
English-language learners. It would also consider charter school costs for the
first time. "I do think it would be
beneficial to the urban districts," Allentown School District uperintendent
Russell Mayo said. "It's trying to bring equity of opportunity for the
kids." While the Bethlehem
and Easton districts don't have as many
English-language learners and very poor children as Allentown ,
they do have more than most Pennsylvania
school districts, officials said.
New Pennsylvania
By Karen Langley / Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
June 18, 2015 12:34 PM
A commission of Pennsylvania legislators
and members of the Wolf administration today recommended a new formula for the
distribution of state funding for public schools. Pennsylvania 's
school districts have the most inequitable spending, in terms of poverty, of
any state in the nation, with districts with many impoverished districts
spending significantly less than more affluent districts, according to the U.S.
Department of Education. The state Basic
Education Funding Commission recommended this morning that Pennsylvania adopt a new funding formula
that would allocate additional money to districts according to their numbers of
students in poverty, students with limited English language and students
attending charter schools. The
commission recommended that the state consider a district's median household
income and tax effort in determining its level of school funding. Commission members noted that their
recommendation is only an initial step in changing how Pennsylvania schools are funded, and that
many questions remain unanswered.
Bipartisan panel calls for
new formula to divvy up Pa.
WHYY Newsworks BY KEVIN MCCORRY JUNE 18, 2015
A bipartisan Pennsylvania commission
unanimously recommended a new school funding formula Thursday that would
account for several student-weighted factors including poverty.
The proposed formula
— which would affect only new spending — calls for Pennsylvania to provide
districts with predictable, student-weighted funding that accounts for
enrollment changes, poverty, how many students are learning English as a second
language, as well as enrollment in charter schools. The proposed formula would also account for a
district's ability to raise funds locally — keeping in mind a locality's median
household income and how much it taxes property already. The commission also calls for a formula that
accounts for the fact that districts serving large, sparsely-populated rural
areas require additional funding because of logistical issues. Philadelphia school officials lauded the commission's
report. "The Commission took on a
serious challenge, engaged in thoughtful fact-finding and discussion, and
emerged with a formula that is good for the future of education in Philadelphia and across
the state," said Superintendent William Hite in an official statement.
"We are immensely grateful for their efforts."
Basic Education Funding
Commission unveils recommendations for new school funding formula
By KARA NEWHOUSE
| Staff Writer
Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 1:45 pm | Updated: 3:44 pm, Thu Jun 18, 2015.
State lawmakers
today unveiled their recommendations for what they call a fairer way
of distributing money to public schools.
The new formula recommended by the Basic Education Funding Commission would account
for a district's current enrollment and demographics, as well as its relative
wealth and ability to generate local tax revenue. The 15-member commission spent the last yearsoliciting and studying ideas for a new school funding formula.
Pennsylvania
is one of only a few states without a consistent formula. The state also has
been identified as having some ofthe nation's worst school funding disparities in several recent
reports.
Lancaster Online By
KARA NEWHOUSE | Staff Writer
posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 6:26 pm | Updated: 6:33 pm, Thu Jun 18, 2015.
All Lancaster County
Proposed funding formula
for Pennsylvania
Under
the proposal, factors including a district's level of poverty and number of
English learners would be included
York Daily Record Staff and wire report UPDATED: 06/19/2015 01:04:04 AM EDT
A bipartisan panel
of state lawmakers and advisers to Gov. Tom Wolf gave unanimous approval
Thursday to a new formula to distribute aid to Pennsylvania 's 500 public school districts,
a model that would funnel more money to districts with rising enrollment and
more students whose families are deeper in poverty. The formula still does not have the agreement
of the Legislature, and there are battles that remain to be fought over whether
and when to start using the formula, as well as how much money to distribute
through it. For now, the formula
endorsed by the Basic Education Funding Commission is being advanced as a way
to get politics out of determining which school districts should get more aid
in a state branded as harboring some of the nation's worst disparities between
wealthy and poor school districts. For
the first time, the formula would recognize not just a district's number of
low-income students, but the number of students living at the deepest level of
poverty — below the federal poverty level — and the proportion of the
district's enrollment they represent.
Panel: Pa needs to
overhaul school funding
KATHY
BOCCELLA, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST
UPDATED: Thursday, June 18, 2015, 2:51 PM POSTED: Thursday, June 18,
2015, 11:29 AM
A state commission
Thursday called for a sweeping overhaul of Pennsylvania 's funding formula for education
aid that would take into greater account factors such as poverty and numbers of
non-English-speaking students, in an effort to close the nation's biggest
spending gap between richer and poorer districts. The formula recommended by the Basic
Education Funding Commission, a bipartisan task force of lawmakers and key
administration officials, would be a boon to cash-poor, poverty-stricken
districts across the state but especially Philadelphia 's,
which is pressing Harrisburg
for an additional $200 million in aid. The
panel also proposed factoring payments to charter schools -- which district
officials contend are draining their budgets -- into the formula. City school officials called the panel's
recommendations, which will require full approval from the legislature, a first
step toward fairer funding.
New Pennsylvania school funding formula wins panel's
OK
The Sentinel
Cumberlinnk.com by Marc Levy Associated Press June 18, 2015
Basic
Education Funding Commission Releases Recommendations and Report
The Kittanning Paper
June 19, 2015
The Basic Education
Funding Commission recommended yesterday that the General Assembly adopt a
new formula for distributing state funding for basic education to Pennsylvania ’s 500
school districts. The Commission, which
was co-chaired by Senator Pat Browne (Lehigh) and Representative Mike Vereb
(Lower Providence Township
ELC-PA: Commission’s
Formula Proposal Makes Strides Towards Addressing Equity Gaps
Restoring 2011 School Funding
Cuts Must be the First Step
- See more at: http://www.elc-pa.org/2015/06/18/commissions-formula-proposal-makes-strides-towards-addressing-equity-gaps/#sthash.2MW42Nii.dpuf
STATEMENT: PASBO
Supports Basic Education Funding Commission Recommendations
By: PASBO
On: 06/17/2015 13:43:52
PASBO believes the
recommendations of the Basic Education Funding Commission for a new basic
education funding will serve to begin to remedy the inequity that currently
exists across the commonwealth. By counting students and providing weights for
certain categories of students, such as students living in poverty and students
who are English Language Learners, the proposed basic education funding formula
will direct additional dollars to those school districts that have the greatest
need for additional resources. PASBO
also applauds the Commission’s efforts to end the use of the outdated and
flawed aid ratio—a measure that has been used in school funding since 1966, and
no longer accurately reflects the local wealth of school districts across the
commonwealth.
PASA Issues Statement on the Report of the Basic
Education Funding Commission June 18, 2015
STATEMENT: PSBA calls proposed school funding formula
great step forward
PSBA website June
18, 2015
The Pennsylvania
School Boards Association (PSBA) applauds the work of the Basic Education
Funding Commission and says the proposed formula developed by the group over
the past year is a great step forward to adequate, equitable and fair school
funding in Pennsylvania .
The commonwealth is currently one of only three states in the nation without a
funding formula for public education. “The
time is now for a bipartisan effort to move the funding formula across the
final finish line and pass legislation putting it into place,” said PSBA
Executive Director Nathan Mains. “A formula will go a long way to help school
entities develop their annual budgets. Additionally, a formula will help with
the equitable distribution of school funding to alleviate the current
disparities in how state dollars are allocated.” The proposed formula has many of the elements
PSBA has advocated for, including basic elements of counting students
consistently; student weights taking into consideration poverty and English
Language Learners; district weights taking into consideration scarcity of
student populations, local tax efforts, and local cost adjustments (see PSBA’s
special report, “The
Need for a New Basic Education Funding Formula”).
Education Week State
Ed Watch blog By Andrew Ujifusa on June 18, 2015 3:25 PM
On June 18 the
state's Basic Education Funding Commission released a proposed
K-12 finance system in the Keystone State
Survey finds 70 percent of
school districts plan property tax hike: Thursday Morning Coffee
Penn Live By John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com Email
the author | Follow on Twitter on
June 18, 2015 at 8:08 AM, updated June 18, 2015 at 8:12 AM
Good Thursday Morning, Fellow Seekers.
You probably saw this one coming -- Even though Gov. Tom Wolf is looking for more state support for public education, seven in 10Pennsylvania
school districts say they plan to raise local property taxes. That's the conclusion of a new survey by
thePennsylvania Association of School
Business Officials, or PASBO,
which included the finding in its annual canvass on a variety of budgetary
issues. You'll probably also not be
surprised to learn that rising pension costs were the single cost-driver for
districts, followed by health care costs, the survey found:
You probably saw this one coming -- Even though Gov. Tom Wolf is looking for more state support for public education, seven in 10
Phila. School
District to outsource substitute teachers
JENNIFER
WRIGHT, DAILY NEWS STAFF
WRITER WRIGHTJ@PHILLYNEWS.COM,
215-854-5938 POSTED: Friday, June 19, 2015, 12:16 AM
WHILE STUDENTS
headed home for the summer yesterday, the School Reform Commission approved the
first of two staff outsourcing plans with the intent to cut costs and staff
empty classrooms. The SRC voted
unanimously to give Source4Teachers, based in Cherry Hill , N.J. Pennsylvania
and in the mid-Atlantic."
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150619_Phila__School_District_to_outsource_substitute_teachers.html#mdaU21K5fJxwdsyO.99
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/20150619_Phila__School_District_to_outsource_substitute_teachers.html#mdaU21K5fJxwdsyO.99
Council raises taxes,
readies $70M for schools - with asterisk
TRICIA L.
NADOLNY, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER Friday,
June 19, 2015, 1:07 AM
City Council passed
a package of tax increases Thursday that will hit a wide swath of the city's
taxpayers while taking in an additional $70 million for the Philadelphia School
District Harrisburg .
"Council has done its part. I'll sign those bills," Nutter
said. "And now we need to see what the second part is, which is the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
By Monica Von Dobeneck | Special to
PennLive n June 18, 2015 at 8:53 PM, updated June 18,
2015 at 8:58 PM
The Palmyra Area
School Board passed its final budget Thursday which will raise taxes 2.23
percent to 13.52 mills. The $44.8
million budget has undergone several changes since it was first introduced. An
agreement with the teachers' union over a fact finders' report enabled the
district to lower the amount of the tax increase from the 2.5 percent proposed
in the preliminary budget in May. While
the board and the union have not yet signed the final contract, both sides have
agreed to accept the report from the state Labor Relations Board. Many teachers and parents filled the
auditorium in April because they feared budget cuts after the
board instructed the administration to cut another $400,000.
Come to Harrisburg
Education Voters PA website June 1, 2015
On June 23 at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Education Voters will be
joining together with more than 50 organizations to send a clear message to
state lawmakers that we expect them to fund our schools in this year’s
budget. Click
HERE for more information and to register for the June 23 All for Education Day
in Harrisburg. Join us as we speak up for the importance of
funding our schools fairly and at sufficient levels, so that every student in
PA has an opportunity to learn. Community,
parent, education advocacy, faith, and labor organizations will join together
with school, municipal, and community officials to hold a press conference and
rally at 12:00 in the main rotunda and to make arrangements to meet with
legislators before and after the rally. We
must send a strong message to state lawmakers that we are watching them and
expect them to pass a state budget that will fund our schools this year. Please
come to Harrisburg on June 23 to show broad support for a fair budget for
education this year.
Register Now – PAESSP
State Conference – Oct. 18-20 – State College, PA
Registration is now
open for PAESSP's State Conference to be held October 18-20 at The
Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA! This year's
theme is @EVERYLEADER and features three nationally-known keynote
speakers (Dr. James Stronge, Justin Baeder and Dr. Mike Schmoker), professional
breakout sessions, a legal update, exhibits, Tech Learning Labs and many
opportunities to network with your colleagues (Monday evening event with Jay
Paterno). Once again, in conjunction
with its conference, PAESSP will offer two 30-hour Act 45 PIL-approved
programs, Linking Student Learning to Teacher Supervision and Evaluation
(pre-conference offering on 10/17/15); and Improving Student Learning
Through Research-Based Practices: The Power of an Effective Principal (held
during the conference, 10/18/15 -10/20/15). Register for either or both PIL
programs when you register for the Full Conference!
REGISTER TODAY for
the Conference and Act 45 PIL program/s at:
Apply
now for EPLC’s 2015-2016 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
Applications are
available now for the 2015-2016
Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).
The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education
Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC). With more
than 400 graduates in its first sixteen years, this Program is a premier
professional development opportunity for educators, state and local
policymakers, advocates, and community leaders. State Board of
Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants. Past participants include state policymakers,
district superintendents and principals, charter school leaders, school
business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide
association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education
and community leaders. Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer
or another organization. The Fellowship
Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 17-18, 2015 and
continues to graduation in June 2016.
Click here to read about the Education Policy
Fellowship Program.
Sign up here to receive a weekly
email update on the status of efforts to have Pennsylvania adopt an adequate,
equitable, predictable and sustainable Basic Education Funding Formula by 2016
Sign up to support fair funding »
Campaign for Fair
Education Funding website
Our goal is to
ensure that every student has access to a quality education no matter where
they live. To make that happen, we need to fundamentally change how public
schools are funded. The current system is not fair to students or taxpayers and
our campaign partners – more than 50 organizations from across Pennsylvania -
agree that it has to be changed now. Student performance is stagnating. School
districts are in crisis. Lawmakers have the ability to change this formula but
they need to hear from you. You
can make a difference »
COMMUNITY MEETING: PUBLIC
SCHOOL FUNDING IN BERKS COUNTY
Berks County IU June 23,
7:00 - 8:30 pm
Date: Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Time:7:00 – 8:30 p.m. | Registration begins
at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Berks County Intermediate Unit, 1111 Commons Boulevard,
Reading, PA 19605
Local school district leaders will discuss how state funding issues are
impacting our children’s education opportunities, our local taxes, and our
communities. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn how you
can support fair and adequate state funding for public schools in Berks County. State lawmakers who represent Berks County
have been invited to attend to learn about challenges facing area schools.
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