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Governor Rendell Launches 'Pennsylvania Competes' Education Budget With $517 Million Increase in Basic Education; Continues Emphasis on Student Learning

Posted on: Wednesday, 8 February 2006, 12:00 CST

HARRISBURG, Pa., Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell today proposed an unprecedented $517 million increase in education spending to continue giving every Pennsylvania student the opportunity to learn and compete in the global economy.

"Of all the investments that we are announcing today, I am proudest of those that we will make in the educational development of Pennsylvania's students," the Governor said of his proposed "Pennsylvania Competes" education spending plan. "These initiatives are the product of a course we set three years ago by dramatically increasing education funding in Pennsylvania.

"Our funding for early childhood, elementary and secondary education has increased by nearly $1.2 billion since 2002. As a result, student achievement is clearly on the rise: fifth graders meeting state standards are up from 53 percent to 69 percent; gains in reading and math are appearing at schools across the commonwealth; and, for the first time in Pennsylvania history, full-day kindergarten is available to more than half the eligible students statewide.

Governor Rendell's proposed education investment for the 2006-07 school year is $8.7 billion for pre-kindergarten through 12th grade, which is $517 million, or 6.4 percent more than the current fiscal year. Over the past three years, the Governor has increased education spending by more than $1.2 billion.

The Governor's budget also includes an unprecedented commitment to serve and protect children and young adults, including health insurance, education and training. The increase for services to children and young adults is $828 million.

"Pennsylvania Competes" will ensure that Pennsylvania students receive the high-quality education that the global economy demands, giving them the ability to compete for the best jobs and contribute to the improvement of the state's communities. Governor Rendell's budget proposes:

-- $10 million for the "Science: It's Elementary" program to upgrade the science curriculum in up to 150 elementary schools with state-of-the- art curriculum and hands-on learning; -- $200 million to transform high school teaching by providing laptops on every desk in English, math, science and history classes over three years - beginning in the coming school year with $20 million for 100 high schools and $6 million in training so teachers can harness the power of technology in their teaching; -- $3 million in grants to help school districts improve their college and career counseling programs. Also, funding for Pennsylvania's landmark Project 720 high school reform initiative will be increased from $4.3 million to $9 million so an additional 30 schools can participate (Currently, 75 schools are Project 720 participants). And, first-ever Dual Enrollment funds will be increased to $7 million from $5 million and will target low-income students and innovative Dual Enrollment Programs; -- $3.7 million to expand the successful New Economy Technology Scholarship Program, which provides grants to college students who major in math and science fields and agree to work in Pennsylvania for one year after graduation. The Governor's budget would add 500 students and increase the maximum grant from $3,000 to $4,000 for bachelor's degree candidates and from $1,000 to $2,000 for associate degree candidates; and, -- $12.6 million for Pennsylvania's 14 community colleges, building on last year's historic increase and overhaul of the funding formula to focus on workforce development. This year's increase includes a 4% operating boost and a 10.9% increase for the community colleges' capital needs.

"This budget ensure that every high school classroom in science, math, English and history will have Internet-equipped laptop computers on each student desk and multi-media technology at each teacher's fingertips," said Department of Education Secretary Gerald Zahorchak. "These new investments are essential if we are to ensure our children are prepared for careers in science and technology."

Governor Rendell's 2006-07 proposed Budget also builds on the successful investments of the last three years and provides record support to local school districts, including:

-- A five-percent increase in the basic education subsidy, the largest increase since 1991; -- A four-percent increase in special education funding; -- Increasing the Accountability Block Grant from $200 million to $250 million and allowing at least 1,215 more children to benefit from pre-kindergarten, expand full-day kindergarten by 2,500 children and providing new learning opportunities for hundreds of thousands additional children; -- Expanding Head Start funding from $30 million to $45 million in order to serve an additional 1,540 children. Pennsylvania funded its first-ever state expansion of Head Start in 2004-05 and, with Governor Rendell's proposed budget, will serve a total of 6,250 children in 2006-07; -- Continued funding at $66 million for Pennsylvania's Educational Assistance Tutoring Program, which serves 175 academically challenged school districts and area career & technical centers; and, -- $1.2 million in funding for 500 Pennsylvania teachers to earn National Board for Professional Teaching Standards certification - with priority for teachers in schools classified as "improvement" or "corrective action," secondary math and science teachers, and early childhood education teachers.

This year's basic education subsidy includes $64 million in Foundation Funding for districts that spend less than the state target of $9,030 per student and already have a significant tax burden. Pennsylvania set its first Foundation Funding target last year at $8,500 per student and provided $22.3 million to help 225 school districts reach that goal. This year's target is adjusted for inflation. After Governor Rendell's proposed 2006-07 budget, 86 percent of the districts with a moderate or high tax burden that were below the $8,500 level in 2003-04 will reach that target this year.

The Governor's proposed 2006-07 budget also increases library funding by $14.1 million, bringing the state subsidy for public libraries to an all-time high of $75.5 million.

State funding for libraries over the last three years has provided more than 6,800 Internet-ready computers for use free-of-charge; over 94,000 community programs, including more than 70,000 specifically for children; and, more than 32 million books and other library materials, which were made available to the public for free. At Governor Rendell's direction, Pennsylvania has remained a national leader in state funding for public libraries.

In the area of higher education, Governor Rendell is proposing a 5-percent increase in spending for community colleges; a 4.5-percent increase for the State System of Higher Education; 4-percent hike for Penn State, Pitt, Temple and Lincoln; and, a 3-percent boost for non-state related universities and colleges.

Additionally, the Governor is proposing a 4.9-percent increase in available grants to students through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, or PHEAA.

For more information on the Governor's proposed education budget, visit the Department of Education's web site at http://www.pde.state.pa.us/.

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, visit his Web site at: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/.

CONTACT: Kate Philips 717-783-1116 La-Verna Fountain, PDE 717-783-9802

First Call Analyst: FCMN Contact:

Pennsylvania Office of the Governor

CONTACT: Kate Philips of Pennsylvania Office of the Governor,+1-717-783-1116, or La-Verna Fountain of PDE, +1-717-783-9802

Web site: http://www.pde.state.pa.us//Web site: http://www.governor.state.pa.us/

Source: PRNewswire

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