The quality of a child’s education shouldn’t depend solely on their zip code.
PENNSYLVANIA STATE | On Sept. 22, 2022, Governor Tom Wolf celebrated an additional $3.7 billion investment in public education over the next eight years. The new round of funding will be used to help balance the Pennsylvania education system by providing much-needed resources to lower-income districts, bringing statewide education investment to a record $1.8 billion for 2022-23.
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE), the funding will be used to implement the following improvements:
- $525 million increase through the Fair Funding Formula. On average, Pennsylvania schools will see their funding increase by 8 percent.
- $225 million increase for Level Up to provide targeted support to the 100 most in-need school districts, ensuring that every child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to thrive and succeed through equal access to a high-quality education no matter their zip code.
- $100 million increase for Special Education.
- $79 million increase for Early Education through Pre-K Counts and Head Start.
- $220 million for public higher education.
“While this record amount of education funding is a necessary step forward and one worthy of celebration, we still have a long way to go before education in Pennsylvania is fully and fairly funded,” Governor Wolf said. “Let’s use this as a stepping stone to continue our fight for full, fair funding for all schools in Pennsylvania.”
The investment will also include an additional $850 million in annual funding to help offset local property taxes.
