PA must live up to state constitution by adequately funding our schools | Opinion
On Feb. 7, 2023, based upon the right to public education in Article III, Section 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution, the Commonwealth Court declared that Pennsylvania funding of education was unconstitutional and must be reformed. Governor Shapiro’s education budget makes some progress in this direction. It is in the interests of every school district in the commonwealth that this budget be passed.
Moreover, unlike last year when the budget was passed in November, it should be passed on schedule in July or in the summer at the latest. Unlike federal funding, which makes up less than 1% of the State College Area School District (SCASD) budget, state funding is a much larger percentage. In Centre County the percentage ranges from 20% (SCASD) to 62.54% (Philipsburg-Osceola). Many school districts in the state had to borrow money between June and November 2025 to meet their obligations.
Arising out of the Commonwealth Court’s decision, in 2024, by law, each of the 500 school districts in Pennsylvania has had an adequacy target. For most Pennsylvania school districts, that has yet to be met. According to Education Voters of Pennsylvania, only 11% of the state’s adequacy gap has been filled. This gap has disproportionately affected Black and Latino students, but it has also had a strong effect on rural, predominantly white districts. It effects school districts with Republican and Democratic majority boards. Over the last two years, three districts in Centre County are receiving adequacy funding, Penns Valley ($854,575), Bellefonte ($579,729), and Philipsburg-Osceola ($555,939). However, they are still owed approximately $3.06 million (Penns Valley), $2.07 million (Bellefonte), and $1.99 million (Philipsburg-Osceola).
An area for savings for school districts this year has been cyber charter reform. An audit by Auditor General Tim DeFoor’s office of five of the commonwealth’s 14 cyber charter schools produced some disturbing results. From 2020 to 2023, the revenue for these schools increased from $473 million to $898 million and their reserves increased by 150%. What was really disturbing was where the money was spent. It was spent on gift cards and bonuses. Commonwealth Charter Academy, the state’s largest cyber charter operator, spent $196 million to buy and/or renovate 21 buildings. In the state’s 2025-26 budget, a cyber charter reform bill was implemented that saves school districts $175 million. SCASD’s share of those savings this year was $366,907. That is major progress, although much remains to be done.
One of the most important parts of Pennsylvania’s school budget is Special Education. Unfortunately, the increases from the commonwealth in this regard have not been up to the task. Over the last ten years, special education costs have grown by 63% while state funding has increased by only 27%. In preparing SCASD’s 2026-27 budget, that has been the greatest concern. Although SCASD is better off than other districts in the county, we have had to shift resources, particularly teaching positions, to special education in recent years. Special education is a state mandate and a moral imperative, so the General Assembly needs to address this funding gap and soon.
Immediately, the General Assembly must pass a budget that leaves the Governor’s education recommendations intact and do so without last year’s significant and infuriating delay. For the future of Pennsylvania’s children, our commonwealth government needs to live up to Pennsylvania’s Constitution by adequately funding our schools, keeping a firm lid of the costs of cyber charters, and funding special education as it must be funded.
Jesse Barlow is a member of the State College Area School District Board of Directors. The opinions here are his own and not those of the Board of Directors or the District.