Argall: Governor’s New Formula Cut $2.7 Million From Local Schools

A new education funding formula developed by Governor Wolf will cut a cumulative total of $2,758,013 from local schools in Berks and Schuylkill Counties, according to Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks).
The state budget approved by lawmakers in March included an additional $200 million for public schools. The formula to determine how the money is driven out was contained in House Bill 1327, also known as the budget-related Fiscal Code. The formula was developed after months of public hearings and bipartisan cooperation among lawmakers, school administrators, education advocates, teachers and parents in order to reflect the factors that drive the cost of education.

On April 4, 2016, the governor vetoed the Fiscal Code and created his own formula to drive out public education funding. As a result, 86 percent of Pennsylvania’s 500 public school districts will receive less money under this plan than they would have received under the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Formula. All but one school district in the 29th Senatorial District will receive less money under the governor’s plan.

Under the governor’s formula, three of the state's five hundred school districts will receive $100 million of the overall increase. Philadelphia schools will receive an additional $78 million, including $34 million that was taken from rural school districts throughout the state.

Below is a breakdown of how school districts in the 29th District will be impacted by the governor’s funding formula compared to the Basic Education Funding Formula approved by the General Assembly:

Berks County (29^th Senatorial District portion)

Conrad Weiser Area School District	$116,343
Fleetwood Area School District	$140,869
Hamburg Area School District	$86,761
Kutztown Area School District	$45,987
Schuylkill Valley School District	$132,440
Tulpehocken Area School District	$57,469
Wilson School District	$403,052

Schuylkill County

Blue Mountain School District	$59,618
Hazleton Area School District	$1,142,386
Mahanoy Area School District	$70,113
Minersville Area School District	$43,033
North Schuylkill School District	$6,613
Panther Valley School District	$96,094
Pine Grove Area School District	$7,126
Pottsville Area School District	$57,592
Saint Clair Area School District	$36,452
Schuylkill Haven Area School District	$31,659
Shenandoah Valley School District	$152,179
Tamaqua Area School District	$78,747
Tri-Valley School District	$43,366
Williams Valley School District	$49,884

Every local school district, with the exception of the Williams Valley School District, will receive less funding under the governor’s funding formula. Reading Area School District will lose $3,699,346 under the governor’s funding formula.

Information posted from Press Release from Senator Dave Argall