Erie County Times

Gov. Tom Wolf recently met with students, educators and officials of the Aliquippa School District to highlight the “historic” amount of funds his administration has put into public education during his eight years in office.

Wolf, who is not running for reelection, and his administration have invested a total of $3.7 billion in public education, according to a press release from the governor's office. This year’s budget included a record amount of $1.8 billion toward education. 

“While this record amount of education funding is a necessary step forward and one worthy of celebration, we still have a long way to go before education in Pennsylvania is fully and fairly funded,” Wolf said at Aliquippa High School’s Black Box Theater. “Let’s use this as a stepping stone to continue our fight for full, fair funding for all schools in Pennsylvania.”

This year’s funds included a $525 million increase through the Fair Funding Formula, Pennsylvania schools will see funding increased by an average of 8%, a $225 million increase for the Level Up program with a target of the 100 most in-need school districts, a $100 million increase for special education, a $79 million increase for early education and $220 million for public higher education.

There is also $850 million in recurring funds that allow school districts to invest in student learning and also cut property taxes.

“Whether in Beaver County or across the commonwealth, the governor’s commitment to funding education has been unwavering,” state Rep. Robert Matzie said in the release. “I am proud to stand with him, and even more proud to have worked with him, in support of his unprecedented investments in our children.”

During Wolf’s time in office, pre-K through 12th grade funding has gone up by $2.7 billion. This includes $1.86 billion for basic education, $290 million for special education, $23 million for educational access, $254 million for early childhood education, which includes $205 million for Pre-K Counts and $49 million for Head Start, $109 million for early intervention and $46 million for career and technical education.

The Wolf administration has also worked to modernize science education standards, invest $130 million in school safety grants, reduce the age of when students must start school to 6-years-old and raise the dropout age to 18, and launch the “It’s On Us PA” campus sexual assault prevention initiative for colleges and universities.