Pennsylvania Under-funding Schools By $5 Billion

January 12, 2024 5:10 am

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — A commission reviewing how Pennsylvania distributes money to public schools has approved a report that suggests the state is underfunding its districts by more than $5 billion. Thursday’s vote on the report by the Basic Education Funding Commission was backed by Democrats and members of Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration. Republicans and one Democrat on the commission opposed it. The result was a vote of 8 to 7. A key recommendation in the report says the state should begin immediately to close a school funding gap of more than $5 billion and phase in the increases over seven years. A separate Republican report was defeated on party lines.