The Pennsylvania Constitution guarantees every child a right to a “thorough and efficient” public education. For decades, the state has been shirking its constitutional obligation. Pennsylvania ranks 43th in state share for education, putting the heavy tax burden on local districts to fill the $4.6 billion void, leaving poorer district insufficiently funded. Black, Hispanic, and low-income students suffer disproportionately.

On February 7, 2023, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court unequivocally ruled that the state’s current school funding system is unconstitutional. It recognized that education is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Pennsylvania Constitution to all children—and that this right has been denied in low-wealth districts. Now it’s time for the state to do its constitutional duty and boost public education funding $4.6 billion over three years.

EDUCATION PRIORITIES

• Improve the education of 1.7 million public school children with $2.3 billion in new funding to begin to repair the aftermath of chronic underfunding.
• Prepare at least 25,000 high school graduates for real world jobs by tripling access to career-related learning in Pennsylvania with $215 million in new CTE funds.
• Increase the share of Black and Hispanic high school graduates by promoting policies that boost their social and academic success.
• Advance state, local, and school district policies that promote healthy social development, racial equity, and tolerance.

MOST RECENT RESEARCH

• Meeting the Demand for New Workers—Investing in Career Related Learning for High School Students (Mar 2023)
• PA Schools Work Calls for a 2023-24 Education Budget that Prioritizes Adequacy and Equity (Feb 2023)

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