Pennsylvania Governor Rendell Urges Adoption of 6-Year Strategy for Investment in Student Achievement That Takes Burden Off of Local Property Taxes
Posted on: Friday, 16 May 2008, 15:00 CDT
To: STATE EDITORS
Contact: Chuck Ardo of the Pennsylvania Office of the Governor, +1-717-783-1116
Steelton-Highspire Seeks to Invest in Early Childhood Education, Elementary Reading Skills
STEELTON, Pa.,May 16/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell visited the Steelton-Highspire School District near Harrisburg today to hear how the districts students and taxpayers will benefit from his proposed school funding law that will provide the district with a projected $4.6 million in new resources over the next six years -- equal to more than doubling the rate of local property taxes.
Steelton-Highspire has a shortfall of $3,625 per pupil -- or more than $60,000 for every class of 20 students -- according to the General Assemblys Costing-Out Report.
It is time for the state to pay its fair share in moving every district towards adequate school funding, Governor Rendell said during the first of a series of roundtable discussions he will hold at schools across Pennsylvania. When the state lives up to its responsibility, we take the burden off of local taxpayers and put new resources in the classroom.
A key strategy for long-term property tax relief is for the General Assembly to adopt a school funding plan that permanently reduces the pressure on local property tax increases.
The Governors school funding plan would invest $2.6 billion over the next six years with a new funding formula based on the results of the General Assemblys Costing-Out Report, which, for the first time ever, set a per-pupil-funding target to provide a high-quality education in each school district.
The Steelton-Highspire School District would receive a $584,130 (8.44 percent) proposed basic education funding increase in the 2008- 09 budget and, by the time the new funding formula is fully phased in by 2013-14, it is projected to receive $4.6 million -- the equivalent of a 64 percent basic education funding increase.
Over the next several years, the Steelton-Highspire School District proposes using its new funding to increase student achievement starting with investing in:
-- Pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten teachers to continue to meet parent demand for early childhood education;
-- Hiring a literacy coach to improve reading in kindergarten
through third grade;
-- Elementary school curriculum upgrades;
-- Providing professional development to teachers;
-- Providing adolescent literacy support for struggling students;
and
-- High school course upgrades and new curriculum, including
continued implementation of Advanced Placement courses.
New state investment over the past five years has resulted in across-the-board gains in student achievement throughout Pennsylvania, and the commonwealth is one of only nine states that have made significant progress in elementary school reading and math over the past four years. In Steelton-Highspire, 5th and 8th grade math scores have increased dramatically since 2003.
Pennsylvania is proving that smart investment means higher achievement, Governor Rendell said. We must heed the General Assemblys Costing-Out Report so that the quality of our childrens education does not depend on the ZIP Code where they live.
Governor Rendell is calling on the General Assembly to pass a law with this years budget that lays out a 6-year plan to increase the states basic education investment by $2.6 billion using an annual formula with three steps:
1. Calculate the adequacy target for every school district. Governor Rendells proposal starts with the formula recommended by the General Assemblys Costing-Out Report for determining an adequate level of regular education school funding in each school district.
2. Calculate the state share of each school districts adequacy gap. Once each school districts adequacy target is determined, it is compared to the districts actual spending. The difference is the districts adequacy gap. Governor Rendells proposal phases in each school districts state investment towards adequate funding over six years. The level of state funding is determined by adjusting each school districts total gap to reflect the level of local wealth and the districts existing tax burden.
3. Ensure that new resources increase educational services for students. The Governors proposal ensures that taxpayers will have confidence that these significant new resources are being used for the most effective strategies for boosting student achievement. Any school district that receives a basic education funding increase that is more than the Act 1 inflation index (4.4 percent for 2008- 09) is required to spend the portion of its increase above the index for proven school improvement strategies, including:
o more time and support for students to learn, o smaller classes,
o pre-kindergarten and full-day kindergarten,
o a strong curriculum and teacher training, and
o effective teachers, principals and superintendents.
Comprehensive information about the Governors funding plan may be found at www.pde.state.pa.us. Choose the icon for Proposed 2008- 2009 Education Budget, or contact Educations communications office at 717-783-9802.
The Rendell administration is committed to creating a first-rate public education system, protecting our most vulnerable citizens and continuing economic investment to support our communities and businesses.To find out more about Governor Rendell's initiatives and to sign up for his weekly newsletter, visitwww.governor.state.pa.us.
CONTACT:
Chuck Ardo
717-783-1116
SOURCE Pennsylvania Office of the Governor
(c) 2008 U.S. Newswire. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.
Source: U.S. Newswire
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