The Public Interest Law Center sued the state of Pennsylvania and won over an unconstitutional school funding system, writes Maddie Hanna for the Philadelphia Inquirer.
As a result, underfunded school districts received $500 million in new allocations and some Montgomery County towns are making great strides to close the gap.
Among the underfunded districts, Norristown was deemed overburdened by local property taxes. The allocation keeps the town from raising local taxes. This was the fourth consecutive year that property taxes didn’t increase, but the previous 12 years saw a 35 percent increase. The Norristown school district used $10 million to hire staff and added 59 new positions including paraprofessionals and reading specialists.
Pottstown used the money to focus on enhancing school culture in middle schools where fights often break out. By doubling the counselors and assistant principals, they can give each grade more individual attention.
Other regional districts are using the allocation to avoid layoffs amid declining revenue.
This increased funding has yet to level the playing field, but it’s a start. This year’s $500 million is part of a nine-year plan to allocate $4.5 billion to these under-funded school districts.
Read more about the Public Interest Law Center’s suit that led to funding Montco schools in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
