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With a nearly 800-page Commonwealth Court ruling that declared Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional hanging over the General Assembly’s heads, Pennsylvania’s Acting Education Secretary Khalid Mumin said he sees that as an opportunity to do right by students.
“It’s impressed upon us that we do — and I believe we have — the moral compass, the moral compass and influence to do it,” Mumin said during a budget hearing Wednesday before the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Noting he has met with 31 of the 50 senators in advance of his confirmation hearing, Mumin said he senses that those everyone is on the same page in this regard: “Education has to look different for our youth here in the commonwealth.”
The questions he fielded from senators made clear the range of differences they hope to see from universal free school meals to addressing poor performing charter schools to school district reserves and more. Here are a few highlights from the discussion.
‘Academic pandemic’: Those were the words Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee Chairman Vincent Hughes of Philadelphia used to describe the issues facing school districts as it relates to the Commonwealth Court’s ruling.
Hughes said, “it is incumbent upon us to get about the business of getting this done.” He pointed out Gov. Josh Shapiro proposed a nearly $17 billion education department budget proposal, an increase of 5.7% over the current fiscal year’s $16 billion appropriation, would provide a solid foundation upon which to build.
Pointing out that deep in that court ruling on page 424 is an expert’s reference to the state’s poorest quintile of school districts receiving $7,800 less per student than the wealthiest quintile of districts, Hughes said addressing that disparity would allow for those students in the poorer districts to be educated in “a safe environment, non-toxic, 21st century equipment where they can actually learn at the same standards across the board.”
Mumin said if Shapiro’s commitment to addressing those and other issues facing K-12 education to post-secondary opportunities to impacting workforce development wasn’t sincere, he wouldn’t be in the position he now holds.
School district reserves: Along the lines of the state’s interest in reimagining education funding, Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, R-York County, brought concerns about school districts’ fund balances.
She asked how much the department officials thinks districts should hold in reserve. Jessica Sites, director of budget and fiscal management, said the amount districts decide to hold in these reserve accounts is a local decision.
Phillips-Hill also asked how district’s “shell game” practice of shifting funds into reserves to justify a request to the department to raise property taxes above the Act 1 limit could be made more transparent to taxpayers. That practice was highlighted in recent Auditor General’s audit.
Sites said the department supports legislation to require school boards to pass resolutions to increase the transparency for taxpayers.
School district mergers: Sen. Steve Santarsiero, D-Bucks County, asked about the secretary’s interest in having the state help school districts with declining enrollments to finance mergers.
“One of the issues that frequently stands in their way is the ability to be able to make it work financially,” Santarsiero said.
He noted Morrisville and Pennsbury school districts in his district conducted a feasibility study but the interest in pursuing a merger unraveled over the financial challenges that it would pose.
Saying it would save the state and the districts money in the long run and provide better educational opportunities for students, Santarsiero asked if there would be interest in the state providing financial resources to make the mergers overcome those financial obstacles.
Mumin said decisions to pursue a merger is a local decision but providing a budget line to assist districts in this way is a conversation to be had.
“I’m sure there are many other districts among our 500 in the state where this discussion would be beneficial,” Santarsiero said.
Universal school breakfast: Sen. Lindsey Williams, D-Allegheny County, said New Mexico recently became the fifth state to enact a law that allows all students to eat free breakfast and lunch.
While she was glad to see the governor’s budget proposal include $38.5 million to continue the universal free breakfast program currently funded through federal dollars and allowing those who qualify for reduced-price lunches to eat for free, she is among the lawmakers who feel that doesn’t go far enough.
Mumin said providing universal meals would cost the commonwealth $435 million. “The governor has been very clear and saying hey, we need to make investments right now as a down payment and we’re open for discussions,” he said.
Poor performing cyber charter schools: Sen. Tracy Pennycuick, R-Montgomery County said given that the state issues charters to cyber charter schools and some of the state’s cyber charter schools are in the bottom 15% of school entities in student performance, “what is your plan to get rid of the bad actors and the poor performing charter schools?”
Mumin said he has already engaged in conversations with charter school leaders and is preparing for further discussions regarding accountability and how the department can provide a framework to allow districts to assist cyber charters.
“This is an active conversation and they came to the table and are willing to discuss it,” he said. “So I look forward to working with the legislature to be able to start to tease out some of these ideas and perhaps create a solid framework for the future.”
‘Older than I look’: Pennycuick asked Mumin whether his kids go to public or private school.
Drawing a laugh from Mumin, he said, “I’m older than I look. My daughter is 31 years old.”
Pennycuick said, “Oh, jokes on me apparently. Wow.”
Mumin said she went to public high school and graduated from Temple University.
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