Erie County Times

Gov. Tom Wolf recently met with students, educators and elected officials in celebration of the $3.7 billion investment in public education that his administration has made over the past eight years.

According to a press release by Wolf, the meeting took place with Erie School District. He touted the education investments involved amounting to a record $1.8 billion in this year’s approved budget. He spoke at the Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy where he said that funding public education has been a priority since taking office in 2015.

“I promised the people of Pennsylvania that I would make education and the future of our children a priority again for the commonwealth. And I have fought every day to do just that,” Wolf said. “This year’s budget includes a massive investment in our kids, our schools and our future. It’s also an investment that could free up local communities to reduce property taxes.”

This year’s budget included a $525 million increase through the Fair Funding Formula; a $225 million increase for the Level Up program; a $100 million increase for Special Education; a $79 million increase for early education through Pre-K Counts and Head Start programs; $220 million for public higher education; and $850 million in recurring funding that allows for schools to invest in student learning and also cut local property taxes.

The Level Up program was first funded last year with a $100 million equity supplement put forth to assist the 100 most underfunded schools in Pennsylvania. This year’s budget was a $125 million increase from last year’s budgeted amount.

“Governor Wolf’s commitment to Level Up funding is powerful recognition that inequity among Pennsylvania school districts must be addressed,” said Kate Philips, Level Up Coalition spokesperson. “This funding, which slowly begins to level the playing field, temporarily eases the burden that superintendents, school boards, and educators – and students – in rural, urban, and suburban school districts are faced with every day due to chronic funding disparities.”