By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com on September 23, 2013 at 4:17 PM, updated September 23, 2013 at 4:33 PM
School directors, superintendents, parents and community activists from around the state came out in force to the state Capitol on Monday to press state lawmakers for more school funding and a fairer, more equitable and predictable way of distributing it.
They brought with them a petition signed by representatives from 230 school districts in 55 counties to reinforce that plea, including some from Carlisle, Harrisburg, Mechanicsburg, Central Dauphin and Cumberland Valley school districts.
“Every child is constitutionally entitled to an education that allows them to meet state standards,” said Susan Gobreski, director of Education Voters of Pennsylvania, a statewide grassroots advocacy group. “The reality is that money impacts the educational opportunities our children receive.”
That includes reasonable class sizes, highly trained teachers, arts, music, early learning, access to technology, libraries, counselors and nurses. But the $1 billion reduction in funding districts saw two years ago that left a gaping hole in school budgets has eroded their ability to provide those opportunities, she said.
Gobreski said the coalition of education advocates are making their pitch now and will do it again later this year and during next year’s budget season in hopes of convincing lawmakers to step up to the plate and address the school funding concerns they raise.
Find the full article, here: School advocates push for more funding and a more equitable way of distributing those dollars Jan Murphy, The Patriot-News, 9/23/13
