Governor Tom Wolf today joined students, educators and elected officials in the Aliquippa School District in Beaver County to celebrate the administration’s historic $3.7 billion investment in public education over the past eight years.
“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” Governor Wolf said. “Let’s use this as a stepping stone to continue our fight for full, fair funding for all schools in Pennsylvania.”
This year’s budget alone includes a record $1.8 billion in education investments.
Speaking at Aliquippa High School’s Black Box Theater today, Governor Wolf recalled that proper funding for education was his top priority when he took office in 2015. This year, that priority resulted in:
- $525 million increase through the Fair Funding Formula. On average Pennsylvania schools will see their funding increase by 8 percent.
- $225 million increase for Level Up to provide targeted support to the 100 most in-need school districts, ensuring that every child in Pennsylvania has the opportunity to thrive and succeed through equal access to a high-quality education no matter their zip code.
- $100 million increase for Special Education.
- $79 million increase for Early Education through Pre-K Counts and Head Start.
- $220 million for public higher education.
The investment in education includes $850 million in recurring funding to allow school districts to invest in student learning while simultaneously cutting local 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. “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.”
Over the eight-year course of the administration, funding for pre-K through 12th grade has increased $2.7 billion, including:
- Basic education: $1.86 billion
- Special education: $290 million
- Educational access: $23 million
- Early childhood education: $254 million, including $49 million for Head Start and $205 million for Pre-K Counts.
- Early intervention (PDE): $109 million
- Career and technical education: $46 million
In addition to historic funding investments in new and existing education programs, the Wolf administration has:
- Modernized standards for science education.
- Invested more than $130 million in School Safety Grants to make schools and school communities safer.
- Reduced the age when students must start school to 6 and raised the high school dropout age to 18.
- Launched the first-of-its-kind “It’s On Us PA” Campus Sexual Assault Prevention initiative to combat sexual assault and make colleges and universities safer.
Gov. Wolf has served for two terms as a leader consistently at work for the people of Pennsylvania. Learn more about how his Priorities for Pennsylvania have fueled the commonwealth’s comeback, leaving Pennsylvania in a much better place than when he arrived.
