As school districts review and approve their yearly budgets this month, it would be appropriate for them to provide a quick thanks to the past and present school board members and administrators of the Greater Johnstown, Panther Valley, William Penn, Wilkes-Barre Area, Shenandoah Valley and Lancaster school districts.
The six, later joined by other districts, agencies and parents, filed suit against the state in Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court in 2014 for failing to meet its obligation to provide a “thorough and efficient” system of public education.
Early rhetoric out of Harrisburg is encouraging.
It appears that both sides of the aisle acknowledge the need for fiscal reform to address underfunding of most of the school districts in the commonwealth and the overtaxing of residents in districts with low property values.
Not all districts will benefit from the ruling by Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer, which mandates that the fiscal system be changed to recognize the funding differences in poor versus wealthy districts.
In 2023, nine years after the case was filed, Jubelirer passed down her ruling that the funding system for education was not consistent with the state Constitution and that the legislature and governor need to fix it.
State Senate Majority Leader Joe Pittman recently spoke about the challenges of finding common ground when dealing with 500 public school districts with different viewpoints on how fairness should be defined. He also spoke about the importance of providing predictability and stability to the districts.
Pittman’s points are well-taken, but probably overstate the fiscal challenges faced by the legislature.
Determining the level of wealth of a school district is not challenging. Simply utilize the aid ratio, which is a combination of the sale value of properties in a district and the earned income of its residents; combine it with socioeconomic status of students; add in a few other fluid factors, such as the percentage of students with special needs; and you have the basis for a formula.
Districts can easily be fiscally stratified by reviewing and combining these factors.
More complicated is how to deal politically with the changing allocations of funds in districts that will not benefit from a formula that is constitutionally compliant.
Rest assured that with the receipt of new funding will come increased scrutiny and accountability measures.
Fixing compensation inconsistencies between districts is sure to be a priority for public school employee advocacy groups.
Pay needs to be incrementally addressed, but other priorities need to drive 2025-26 budget discussions in districts with especially needy students.
Nothing is more disappointing than watching a presentation by school administrators that includes preconceived notions about the abilities of students from difficult backgrounds. Michael Gerson, speechwriter for then-presidential candidate George W. Bush, wrote the famous line, “the soft bigotry of low expectations.” It’s now been proven in court that students in high-poverty districts have been provided less than they were constitutionally promised by the commonwealth of Pennsylvania. The learning needs of those previously marginalized students should be prioritized in conjunction with any new receipt of funds.
The wealthiest nation in the world should expect nothing less than for all students to read and perform mathematical operations at or above grade level. The commonwealth of Pennsylvania has celebrated the graduation of thousands of its best and brightest at ceremonies throughout the state.
Increasing the capacity to provide equal access to educational opportunities for all students in all districts, regardless of the socioeconomic status of a student or family, should drive discussions in Harrisburg this month. Anything less will be a lost opportunity.
Wayne Brookhart is a retired superintendent and current Danville Area School District board member. His column appears regularly in The (Sunbury) Daily Item.
