READING, PA — Governor Tom Wolf yesterday joined students, educators and elected officials in the Reading School District to celebrate the administration’s $3.7 billion investment in public education over the past eight years.
“A good education sets students up for a lifetime of success. And when well-educated students grow up and build their lives here in the commonwealth, their success will power our economy and lead our commonwealth into a brighter future,” Governor Wolf said. “It’s an investment in an educated commonwealth and a roaring economy for decades to come.”
This year’s budget alone includes a record $1.8 billion in education investments.
Speaking at Lauer’s Park Elementary School today, Governor Wolf recalled that proper funding for education was his top priority when he took office in 2015. That priority held true in this year’s budget talks, resulting 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 reoccurring funding to allow school districts to invest in student learning while simultaneously cutting local property taxes.
“Gov. Wolf has made funding for public education a priority and school districts in Berks County are much better for it,” ​state Sen. Judy Schwank said. “Every student, regardless of ZIP code, should be able to get a high-quality education in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This is a mission we should all be working towards together, and the only way to accomplish this is to fully fund our public schools and support the teachers we rely on.”
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