PCCY and State Senator Andy Dinniman Jointly call for Improvements to Public Education
PHILADELPHIA (Wednesday, November 20th, 2013) – Pennsylvania Senator Andy Dinniman, and education advocates joined Public Citizens for Children and Youth (PCCY) to release the findings of a new report “The Bottom Line is Children: Public Education in Chester County” that finds while Chester County has some of the highest performing districts in southeastern Pennsylvania, a lack of state investment and a rising number of low income students could make it harder for districts to maintain high performance.
The report finds:
- Chester County’s 12 school districts are underfunded by $42 million
- The districts have a 93% graduation rate
- Only a third of all children have the option to attend full-day kindergarten
- Despite high performance, academic disparities exist among low-income and minority students
- There is a $98,000 per classroom spending gap between the highest and lowest spending districts
“Chester County schools do a great job of educating our children, but like a troubling lack of resources is causing vulnerable students to fall behind in the classroom,” said Donna Cooper, Executive Director of PCCY.
PCCY recommends:
- Give every child the option to attend full-day kindergarten
- Increase resources to close academic achievement gaps within every district
- Focus special attention in boosting the academic performance of the Coatesville School District and to heal the community
- County leaders need to build a county-wide coalition to focus on boosting the state’s investment in every district
In 2009, Chester County leaders adopted a comprehensive policy plan called “Landscapes2.” The plan is meant to improve economic development and preservation strategies across the county. The report says the K-12 school system “while considered among the best in the state, has not kept pace with the technological advancements that are needed to prepare today’s students for the workforce or to move on to more industry specific training.” For the county to reach the goals outlined in the “Landscapres2” plan, the state must contribute its fair share to county schools.
“Public education in Chester County is strong, but we must continue to work to expand our efforts to ensure that every child has access to the resources and opportunities to compete in the global economy,” Dinniman said. “Through continued investments in education, we can ensure that all Chester County children have the skills needed for success in the workforce of tomorrow.”
PCCY’s report, “The Bottom Line is Children: Public Education in Chester County,” is the first in a four-part series looking at issues affecting children in each of Philadelphia’s suburban counties. Upcoming reports will focus on child health, hunger, and early childhood education.
The full report “The Bottom Line is Children: Public Education in Chester County” can be viewed online at: www.childrenfirstpa.org/userfiles/file/BottomLineCountyReports/Chester/Education/PCCYBLEducationChesterCo2013.pdf