Great editorial calling on the passage of HB 2124 to overhaul the states construction reimbursement program! Modify funding, construction planning for schools Pennsylvania faces a long-term challenge in public education and economic development. Current policies are defining the haves and have-nots statewide. Its not good for students, and its bad for local economies. However, the angst being heard in some communities may help to explain the election-year momentum and optimism for changes to public school funding in Harrisburg. With bills moving through the Legislature to address basic education funding and school construction, minds are changing all the way up to the governors mansion. There are two foundational state funding streams that schools depend on — basic education funding for operations and school construction dollars. Currently, the distribution of state basic education funds for teaching and learning is at the mercy of the Legislature. There is no way for school systems to predict the level of state support they will receive when budgeting for the next school year, and construction dollars have been cut off entirely due to a moratorium on new projects and a backlog in reimbursements, which further constrains support for schools statewide. Both are crippling many schools ability to deliver on their mission. A recent analysis by the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia showed that the inequities in state education funding to support teaching and learning have resulted in two-thirds of schools failing to meet academic expectations. The study makes a direct connection between state support and achievement. According to a separate analysis by the Education Law Center of Pennsylvania, some school districts have received double-digit funding increases while others have starved for state support. As a result, operating budgets in many areas have been marked by devastating cuts, teacher layoffs and the reduction of positions and programs that support learning, including librarians, guidance counselors, music, the arts and extracurricular activities. We believe every communitys children should have an opportunity to attend schools that have the resources to prepare students to become the skilled workforce that is needed by their local economies and the state as a whole. This spring, for the first time, Gov. Tom Corbett acknowledged the need for a fair, predictable method for distributing state education dollars. Acting Secretary of Education Carolyn Dumaresq has reiterated that sentiment. The House passed, and the Senate is considering, a bill to create a commission to examine current basic education funding and make recommendations for a true funding formula that would provide a consistent allocation to all school districts. A fair, predictable funding formula would be a step in the right direction toward ensuring adequate state support for all schools regardless of their location. Modernizing the public school Planning and Construction Workbook, known as PlanCon, also would have major benefits for schools and their local economies. The Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials and public school construction industry representatives recently told state officials that without changes, the existing PlanCon process threatens to drive up local property taxes, force school boards to cut more from educational programs and hamper an already struggling construction industry. However, streamlining the PlanCon process could save the state money, and providing additional resources could open the door to resume reimbursements to school districts for the estimated $1.7 billion in construction costs for projects already started or complete. Over the next few weeks, our state legislators can keep the momentum for solutions moving forward by approving House Bill1738 to establish a commission to recommend a more equitable way to distribute the states education budget and House Bill 2124 to overhaul the school construction process and reinstate the states reimbursements. By providing the funding that schools need for instruction and to maintain buildings that are conducive for learning, state leaders can turn election-year optimism into meaningful actions that would benefit all Keystone communities. Jim Buckheit is executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators; Nathan Mains is executive director of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association; Jay Himes is executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Business Officials; Joseph Bard is executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools; J. Hugh Dwyer is chair of the Central Pennsylvania Public School Coalition. touch.mcall/#section/1854/article/p2p-80175040/
Posted on: Mon, 12 May 2014 11:44:31 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015