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Pennsylvania
Costing Out
| Useful Resources
Historical Background
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has consistently found
that challenges to the state's public school funding
system are non-justiciable. In the 1970s and 1990s,
plaintiffs in three separate lawsuits claimed that the
state's then-current education finance system violated
the state constitution. In Danson v. Casey, 399
A.2d 360 (1979), the state supreme court held that plaintiffs
failed to state a justiciable cause of action, and in
1998, Commonwealth Court held that two additional challenges
to the funding system were also non-justiciable: in
Marrero v. Commonwealth, 709
A.2d 956, the court dismissed an "adequacy"
claim, and in Pennsylvania Association of Rural and
Small Schools v. Ridge, 737 A.2d 246, the state
supreme court affirmed Commonwealth Court's dismissal
of plaintiffs' "equity" claim.
Other Advocacy Strategies
In the face of state court decisions denying review
of the education finance system, advocates in Pennsylvania
are using other strategies to improve funding for public
schools. For example, faith leaders formed the Good
Schools Pennsylvania coalition to push for more
adequate and equitable funding, as well as certain education
reforms, such as smaller classes, better buildings,
and adequate instructional materials. Also, the Philadelphia
Education Fund and the Alliance
Organizing Project, in Philadelphia, and The Partnership
for Fair Chance Schools, a statewide organization, are
working at the grassroots level to improve education
and education funding.
Costing
Out
Pennsylvania needs to increase education spending by
$4.61 billion or 26.8% per year in order to meet performance
standards, according to the study
“Costing Out the Resources Needed to Meet Pennsylvania’s
Public Education Goals” released in November 2007.
According to the authors, the poorest 20% of school
districts need a 34.9% increase in funding, while Philadelphia
needs a 50% increase.
The study, prepared by Augenblick, Palaich and Associates
for the State Board of Education and requested by the
Pennsylvania Department of Education, was designed to
determine the cost for all Pennsylvania public school
students to receive a quality education and be able
to meet state standards defined as universal mastery
of 12 academic areas and 100% proficiency on state assessments
of reading and math. Yet, 100% proficiency is actually
an artificial, unattainable goal, and the study more
likely estimates the cost of “100 percent opportunity.”
In May 2008, Governor Rendell proposed a six year plan
to phase in $2.6 billion of basic education funding.
The plan is supported by a broad coalition of significant
education advocacy groups.
Useful Resources
For Advocacy Strategies in other states where the courts
have denied review or otherwise closed the courthouse
door on school funding litigation, see Alabama.
Last updated, July 2008
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