Pa. education advocates are disappointed and dismayed at state budget

Public schools have been the way most Americans have been educated for approximately two hundred years. Many of us believed that Governor Josh Shapiro would be the champion of underfunded public schools and bring equity to the funding system once and for all, which is why he received support from education advocates across the state.

Recently, Shapiro appeared on a national TV network where he discussed education and proclaimed that “every child of God deserves a shot here in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and a good education” which is absolutely true. However, those of us who voted for him thought he would be a partner to advocates of fair funding and help underfunded districts become equal to the districts around them. Most school districts that are rated as “underperforming” are districts that are “underfunded.” These two adjectives go hand in hand.

Yes, all students do deserve a good education, but the state has deprived many of our children from a fair and equal education by their unconstitutional funding process. Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubilirer placed the solution to this situation directly in the hands of the legislative and executive branches with a Feb. 7, 2023, ruling that said, “The Education Clause, Article III, section 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution requires that every student receive meaningful opportunity to succeed academically, socially, and civically, which requires that all students have access to a comprehensive, effective, and contemporary system of public education.”

All underfunded school districts house many people of low income and the value of taxable property is much less than their wealthy neighboring districts. Judge Jubilirer goes on to say, “Students who reside in school districts with low property values and incomes, are deprived of the same opportunities and resources as students who reside in school districts with high property values and income……As a result of these disparities, students attending low-wealth districts are being deprived of equal protection of law. All parties agree that every child can learn.  It is now the obligation of the Legislature, Executive Branch, and educators, to make the constitutional promise a reality in the Commonwealth.”

The Pennsylvania Legislature, Executive Branch, and educators are under a court order to equalize the education for all students in the state.  Meanwhile, Senate Bill 795, a new private and religious school voucher program, would drain millions of dollars given by state taxpayers, from public schools and send money directly to private and religious schools.  Parents would not have to meet any income eligibility requirements.  These vouchers are ironically called “Lifeline Scholarships.” The state already enables private companies to fund private schools through the $300 Million EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit) tax credit program.

When I was in high school, I learned about the separation of church and state. These scholarships negate that separation. It should be illegal to use public money for private and religious education. These institutions are not taxed and are not accountable for their results as are public schools.

My husband and I sent our son to a private high school, but it was our choice. We paid every dollar ourselves and would never have expected the state to pay a cent for our decision. Public money should go to public schools, not to private and religious schools. If parents choose a religious school option, they should pay for it themselves. If they choose a private school option, the private schools have millions of dollars in endowments that could be used to pay for the education of these students if parents cannot pay the entire tuition.

Shapiro’s signing of the “main” spending bill is a good start to get money to our schools, but without the accompanying direction on how these dollars should be spent, the state is handicapped by not being able to spend $1.1 billion on programs including aid for poorer school districts.

The desire to use vouchers for private and religious schools is totally inappropriate in a first budget in the first year in office. We must bring Republicans and Democrats together and take time for task forces to study this issue and come up with good solutions together. We ask the governor to work to provide the money that underfunded school districts need to educate their students properly, as Judge Jubilirer has ruled. The governor’s job right now is to take care of the children of Pennsylvania, and the unconstitutional system of public-school funding in this state is one of the paramount challenges.

Dr. Myra Forrest is a lifelong educator and education advocate for the Pottstown Area Health and Wellness Foundation.