A child-advocacy organization said Thursday that Montgomery County’s public schools have the greatest per-classroom spending disparity among the four suburban Pennsylvania counties.

It also called on Harrisburg legislators to help close that gap by increasing state funding for education.

On the steps of the county courthouse in Norristown, the Philadelphia-based Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) released “The Bottom Line Is Children: Public Education in Montgomery County,” a report examining various aspects of education for the 104,876 students in the county’s 21 public school districts.

“Montgomery County has some of the best school districts in Southeastern Pennsylvania,” said PCCY executive director Donna Cooper. “But as districts face more challenges and need to meet high standards, more state investment is needed to protect and preserve the great reputation of these districts.”

The report’s findings include a significant gap per student between the highest- and lowest-spending districts in the county. It also says 83 percent of school districts raised property taxes at least once in the last three years to offset shrinking state funding.

PCCY researchers used data from 2011 and 2012 drawn mainly from the Pennsylvania Department of Education to measure various aspects of public instruction in the county. The report highlighted funding disparities.

The Lower Merion School District spent the most on instructional costs per student at $16,145. The Upper Perkiomen School District was at the bottom with $9,039.

Academic achievement was “strong” in Montgomery County, the report said, with many districts scoring well above the state average on the 2012 Pennsylvania System of School Assessment tests. But significant differences in test scores among different groups of children remain.

Part of the reason for that gap is inconsistent and insufficient state aid, Cooper said. Pennsylvania is one of three states, she said, to lack a consistent school funding formula.

County schools also face a rising level of poverty among students, which often means a rise in the need for specialized programs. The low-income student population grew by more than 45 percent from 2008 to 2012, the report concluded.

The report found that 52 percent of children attended full-day kindergarten in the county, a higher percentage than in Bucks, Chester or Delaware Counties. Also, Montgomery County’s 93 percent graduation rate “is significantly higher than the state average of 83 percent and is the highest of the four suburban counties.”

The Philadelphia Inquirer – November 1, 2013 – Read article online