school financing in pennsylvania equitable, adequate, and predictable public education funding for...
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School Financing In Pennsylvania
Equitable, adequate, and predictable public education funding for all students of PA
Historical Perspective
Public education in PA started in 1776 The State’s share of funding for public
education increased from 20% in 1794 to 55% in the 1975.
The State’s share of funding for public education has decreased since 1975 to the current average of about 32%
Today’s Funding System
Inherently inequitable and inadequate Student education is greatly influenced by zip
code
District 2003-2004 Expenditure
per ADM
District 2003-2004 Expenditure
per ADM
Difference
South Allegheny 2002-2003: 52%
Proficient in Reading
$7,974 Upper Saint Clair 2002-2003: 84%
Proficient in Reading
$10,332 $2,358
Oxford Area 2002-2003: 52% Proficient in
Reading
$8,156 Phoenixville 2002-2003: 73% Proficient in
Reading
$12,512 $4,356
The Haves and Have-Nots2002-03 Major Subsidies per Student by Tax Effort and Proficiency Targets
Incl: Basic, Special Ed, Voc Ed, Performance Grants, and Read-to-Succeed Dollars per ADM(Not Shown: Top 5 Taxing Districts--in Poconos)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
0 0.01 0.02 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.06 0.07TAX EFFORT
2002-03 Household School Taxes as % of PI
PRO
FIC
IEN
CY
2003
-04
% P
rofic
ient
(Rea
ding
)
Width of bubbles: 2002-03 Level of "Major Subsidy" (Basic, Special, Vocational, Performance Grants, and Reading) per 2002-03 ADM.Green: greater than $4,091 per pupil (HIghest 125 districts). Red: less than $1,944 per pupil (Low est 125 districts).
median=3.12%
2008-09 AYP Rdng Target=63%
Low Tax, High Proficiency
Low Tax, Low Proficiency
High Tax, High Proficiency
High Tax, Low Proficiency
TARGET AREAMany of these districts are not well-served by existing
distribution system.
Philadelphia
Wm Penn
Reading
Chester-Upland
WilkinsburgSE Delco
Morrisville
Pittsburgh
Allentown
Bristol Twp
Coatesville
Avon Grove
Wdlnd Hills
Norristown
Fleetwood Area
Blue Ridge
Scranton
Shnksvl-Stonycrk
Harrisburg
Northgate
Neshaminy Pottsgrove
Duquesne
Steelton-Highspire
Austin AreaSayre Area
Baldwin-Whthl
Weatherly
South Side
Bnslm Twp
National Context
44 out of 50 states have experienced school finance litigation
Most litigation is based on adequacy Requires determining cost of adequate
education In PA - PARSS lawsuit, court put issue back
in hands of legislature
Our Plan for Pennsylvania
“Education, then, beyond all other devices of human origin, is the great
equalizer of the conditions of man, the balance-wheel of the social machinery.” – Horace Mann
Basic Education
Central distribution of resources equally to local education agencies on a per pupil basis
Base funding per pupil determined by cost of preparing students to proficient/advanced on PSSA test.
We looked at the avg. expenditure, adjusted for inflation, and compared to data on achievement and McCozzi adequacy model
Based funding per pupil to be provided by PA is $11,180 in 2007-2008.
Weighting
Base funding shall be weighted as followso Regular Ed. 1.0 x baselineo Limited English Proficiency 1.1 x baselineo Poverty 1.2 x
baseline(qualify for free and reduced lunch)
o Alternative Education 1.5 x baselineo Special Education excess cost
Charter and Cyber Schools
Charters will be funding using same formula, but shall assume – transportation, construction, benefits, etc..
Charters will be monitored for adverse selection bias as it relates to LEP, Poverty, Alternative Ed, and Special Ed
Cyber Charters will have base funding determined by separate calculation
Transportation & Construction
Keep current subsidy models for transportation and Construction
Sources of Revenue
This model focuses on distribution, not sources of State revenue
We assume that the tax revenue is centrally collected and distributed – radical idea!
Local school boards may levy additional taxes for local needs
Grants are separate from basic funding
Governance
Creation of Educational Equity Panel to: Annually Review adequacy of base funding Annually determine base funding rate for following
year Determine formula for Cyber Charters
Educational Equity Panel
PA League of Urban Schools
PARRS PA Chamber of Commerce PTA PSEA Majority Chair of the House
Education Committee Minority Chair of the House
Education Committee
Majority Chair of Senate Education Committee
Minority Chair of Senate Education Committee
Governor Secretary of Education PSBO PASA PSBA PaFT
Ongoing Concerns….
Is adequacy enough? Should equity be the real goal?
Should wealthier districts be allowed to create/perpetuate the gap between haves and have nots by funding additional programs?
Should school district consolidations be encouraged to minimize disparities?
Implementation & Accountability
Two Approaches Legislation in House and Senate to enable taxing
and distribution authorities and authorize the Educational Equity Panel
Amend the PA constitution Legislation in House and Senate Passed in two consecutive sessions Voted on during public election
Amend PA Constitution
“ The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth and shall appropriate funds that ensure the adequate, equitable and predictable resources to enable each child to reach state standards.”
Opportunities & Obstacles
There appears to be public support for increasing school funding
There are proposals in the legislature for the state to increase its financial support for local school districts. Do you favor or oppose this?
80%
14%
6%
76%
16%
8%
74%
15%
11%
Favor
Oppose
Don't know
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
2005 2004 2003
2003, 2004, and 2005 Mansfield University Public Mind Survey
Opportunities & Obstacles
Mobilize a grass-roots, state-wide coalition Must be sustained for several years
“The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.”
- Theodore Roosevelt
Our Team
William Bray Christine Hakes Carey Harris William Harst Amy Stewart James Testerman Jennifer Waltz