The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) thanks the General Assembly and Governor Shapiro for their diligent and tireless efforts to bring the 2023-24 state budget to a conclusion and provide public schools with the support they so desperately need.
“Public schools constantly balance their obligation to provide a high-quality education to students with their responsibility to be financial stewards of local tax dollars,” said PSBA CEO Nathan Mains. “The investments in education made in this year’s budget can reduce districts’ reliance on local property taxes and direct more resources into classrooms, rather than to costly charter school tuition and pensions.”
PSBA is especially pleased with the portions of the state budget that:
- Extend the critical provisions that allow school districts to hire and utilize retired school teachers, student teachers and prospective teachers enrolled in a teacher preparation program to serve as a substitute teacher or classroom monitor.
- Drive out vital mental health support funding for schools to continue addressing the mental health needs and concerns of their students.
- Clear up a change made in the general appropriations bill which restored state social security payments to its own line item. This change required another change to the PA School Code which will let this money flow to school districts.
- Create a school environmental repairs program, which recognizes the dire need for state funding for school facilities.
- Increase state funding for public career and technical centers across the state.
- Increase transparency and reporting requirements around the EITC/OSTC Scholarship Programs.
The budget provides additional investments in basic education and special education funding and has a renewed commitment to addressing school facility needs, which demonstrates dedication to public education and the commonwealth’s students. The funding directed to mental health, school safety, and career and technical education will assist public schools in keeping students, staff and visitors safe as well as helping to train the workforce of tomorrow.
PSBA looks forward to continuing to work with the governor and the General Assembly to address the many challenges that public schools face, including charter reform and mandate relief.
