ALEX LLOYD GROSS PHOTO- DELAWARE VALLEY NEWS.COM .Student Laila Waters introduces the governor.
by Alex Lloyd Gross
The state now has an additional $1.1 billion in funding to go to schools in the Commonwealth. This money was approve by a bipartisan effort of the state legislature. Governor Josh Shapiro traveled to Morrisville, to sign a ceremonial bill into law. He was at the Morrisville Middle/Senior High School on Palmer Avenue. The way the money used to be distributed was ruled unconstitutional due to the fact that the money was not pushed out to the students most in need.
To get a better understanding of how the budget increase will affect students, the governor’s office released a breakdown of how this money will be spent. It goes to students K-12 grades.
- Historic Basic Education Funding: Building on the investments in the Governor’s first budget, the 2024-25 budget makes another historic down payment in K-12 education funding in Pennsylvania with an increase of $1.1 billion. Of this funding, nearly $526 million will be distributed through a new adequacy formula to drive dollars to the schools that need them most.
- Increases to Special Education: Governor Shapiro’s budget increases special education funding by $100 million to ensure that school districts have the basic resources necessary to provide high-quality special education services to students with disabilities and special needs.
- Cyber Charter Reimbursement: The 2024-2025 budget sets aside $100 million to reimburse schools for payments they must make to cyber charter schools.
- Career and Technical Education and Dual Enrollment: Creating real opportunity for students includes expanding options for them to gain experience, training, and advanced credit for college while still in high school. The Governor’s budget includes a $30 million increase for Career and Technical Education and continues $7 million in support of dual enrollment.
- School Safety and Security and Mental Health Services: Every student deserves to be safe and feel safe in their school. The 2024-25 budget continues a $20 million annual investment in school safety and security improvements and provides $100 million in sustainable funding for environmental repairs and other facility projects in schools – $25 million of which is set aside for solar projects at schools. This budget also delivers $100 million to put more mental health and physical safety resources in our schools.
- Providing Period Products for Students: No student should have to miss school due to not being able to afford basic necessities like menstrual hygiene products. The Governor’s budget invests $3 million to provide menstrual hygiene products at no cost to students in schools.
- Investing in Early Childhood Learning: Every child in Pennsylvania deserves the support and resources to succeed, from infancy through adulthood. The budget invests an additional $2.7 million in the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and an additional $15 million for the Pre-K Counts program.
- Universal Free Breakfast for Students: Students cannot be expected to focus, learn, and succeed on an empty stomach. The Governor’s budget ensures that 1.7 million students across Pennsylvania will receive free breakfast at school, regardless of their income.
- Supporting Student Teacher Stipends: To further strengthen the educator pipeline and address the education workforce shortage, the 2024-25 budget doubles funding for student teacher stipends, for a total of$20 million to support Pennsylvanians training to become certified and committed educators in the Commonwealth.
While at the school, Governor Shapiro was joined by Secretary of Education Dr. Khalid N. Mumin ,Superintendent Dr. Andrew Doster Sen. Steve Santarsiero, Rep. Jim Prokopiak and Rep. Perry Warren. Senator Santarsiero was a former teacher in Bensalem.
Alex Lloyd Gross photo-Delaware Valley News.com Governor Shapiro signs the bill.
Student Laila Waters, got to welcome Governor Shapiro and she was such an impressive speaker and student that the Senator gave her his souvenir pen that was sued to sign this bill into law. The money is for the entire state, every school district will benefit, officials said.