PSBA is pleased to release the eighth annual State of Education report, which uses results from a survey of school district leaders and publicly available education data to serve as a benchmark of the key indicators of public school performance. 

Some key findings from this year’s report include:

• Two-thirds (66%) of school districts reported student mental health needs as one of their challenges, making it the biggest challenge again this year.
• On average, nearly half of students (46.4%) were estimated to have some mental health need according to school leaders.
• Mandatory charter school tuition payments were the top source of budget pressure for the fifth consecutive year.
• Nearly 90% of school districts reported experiencing a shortage of substitute teachers while a significant percentage of districts also reported shortages in instructional aides, special education staff and drivers.

Click on the document to the right to view or download a digital version of the State of Education report. 

The State of Education report At a Glance document provides a snapshot of the data contained within the 2024 State of Education report. Click on the document to the right to view or download a copy of the At a Glance one-pager. 

As the first school board association in the nation, PSBA has provided services, advocacy and counsel to inform and support public school leaders for nearly 130 years. Together with our members, chief school administrators, and advocates and partners, we are dedicated to promoting exceptional education for Pennsylvania’s students.

To improve the public education of tomorrow, we have to know where our schools stand today. Since 2017, the State of Education report has served as the leading source of information on the biggest challenges facing public schools and their impact on education.

The data in this report provides valuable insights that inform our work on behalf of our members. 

The goal of the report is to provide a high-level overview of the key indicators of the state of public education in the commonwealth, which will facilitate key education policy discussions among legislators and school leaders.

Although the report helps paint a statewide picture of the state of education, we must remember that there are districts working diligently every day to navigate an ever-changing landscape and educate the students they serve.