Local school districts could get more in state funding for 2017-18 school year than in previous years

Many local school districts could get more state funding for the 2017-18 school year than they have in previous years.

This comes after several years of some districts only receiving level state funding.

Based on the $32.3 billion state budget passed last week by the Senate, Bald Eagle Area School District would receive $8,202,947 in basic education funding for the 2017-18 school year — a $99,485 increase from last school year, business manager Craig Livergood said.

There could also be a $25,346 increase in special education funding, to bump that total to $1,274,655, Livergood added.

Bellefonte Area could see a $58,806 increase in basic education funding, and State College Area could get $181,492 more this year, according to the districts’ business managers Ken Bean, of BASD, and Randy Brown, of SCASD.

A report from the Pennsylvania State Education Association said state increases in education funding includes $100 million more in basic education, $25 million more in special education funding, $30 million more in pre-kindergarten funding and a restoration of $50 million in previous cuts to school transportation funding.

“This budget includes key funding for public schools and is another significant step toward ensuring that our schools and students have the resources they need,” PSEA President Jerry Oleksiak said in a statement. “Working together in a bipartisan way, our elected officials succeeded in building a budget that makes key investments in our public schools and the students who learn there.”

This story was originally published July 7, 2017 at 9:34 PM with the headline "Local school districts could get more in state funding for 2017-18 school year than in previous years."