Pennsylvania passed a law in June of 2016 establishing a formula that determines how state funds are allocated to school districts. With the formula in place, when student populations shift from year-to-year, school funding will automaticallly adjust to compensate.
After a brief review of the law, a few numbers stand out.
- $5,895 Million – the state's entire primary and secondary education fund
- $350 Million – the amount of money allocated according to the new formula
- 94% – the percent of state education funding that is unaffected by the new formula
The formula is designed to provide additional funding to school districts with
- Students in low-income families
- Students learning English as a second language
- Students enrolled in charter schools
- Students living spread out from their school
As I further pick apart the details of the law, there are a few questions I want answered.
- How is the 94% of state funding not affected by the formula allocated?
- Do monetary considerations account for the great disparity in public schools throughout the state?
- Can this be turned into a lesson plan for high school students?
If you have answers for any of these three questions, I encourage you to contact me.
You can read more about the new law here, and see the exact text here.