Major schools ruling is a call to action for Pa., local leaders say

By TAYLOR BROWN
tbrown@yourmvi.com
As the General Assembly heads into the 2023-24 budget season, there is work to be done – particularly when it comes to funding public schools.
A Pennsylvania judge ruled Tuesday that the state’s system of funding public schools falls woefully short and violates students’ constitutional rights, siding with poorer districts in a lawsuit launched nearly a decade ago in pursuit of billions of dollars in additional annual aid.
The lawsuit, filed in 2014, argued Pennsylvania’s system of paying for public schools did not meet an explicit standard in the state constitution that lawmakers provide a “thorough and efficient system” of education.
The plaintiffs — including six school districts, the NAACP and the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools — said Pennsylvania’s school funding system relies disproportionately heavily on local property taxes, helping to widen the gap between rich and poor districts.
Charleroi Area Superintendent Dr. Ed Zelich said it is a win for small districts – and legislators need to act quickly.

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