Last year, $225 million was spread about. Legislative Democrats and Republicans see it as an opportunity to radically change how Pennsylvania funds public education.įor three years running, the Level Up program has been used to funnel additional money to 100 school districts found to be the most underfunded - an attempt at equity. The Commonwealth Court issued a ruling in February that found Pennsylvania's system for funding public schools is unconstitutional and tasked state legislators to develop a new, equitable system toward easing the local tax burden, especially on taxpayers in poorer districts. It is extremely disruptive," Lewis told members of the House Education Committee during an informational meeting on Thursday about the Level Up program for poor school districts. At the end of the school year last year, I ran out of pencils. When the time comes to update or replace student laptops purchased with one-time federal funding, Lewis doubts the money will be available - at least, not without changes in how Pennsylvania distributes its education subsidies to its 500 public school districts.
She said there's little room in the district budget to replace materials for science experiments. The cost of a bus rental alone rules out field trips for her students, Lewis said. She's also a senior policy fellow for Teach Plus Pennsylvania, a nonprofit focused on influencing education policy. Lewis teaches sixth-grade English in the William Penn School District in Delaware County.
10-HARRISBURG - Afia Lewis sees no shortage of potential amongst students in her suburban Philadelphia school, but she told Pennsylvania lawmakers that what is lacking are resources to maximize the academic experience.
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