NEW ANALYSIS: Public School Enrollment Declines as State Spending Climbs 

CORRECTION: A previous version of this release incorrectly stated enrollment data. The correct figure is as follows: “Today, there are 80,708 fewer K–12 students in Pennsylvania’s district schools than in 2019–20, a 5 percent enrollment decline.” The information below has been corrected.

Harrisburg, Pa., June 25, 2026 — Commonwealth Foundation released new analysis on the state of education in Pennsylvania ahead of the 2026–27 school year.

Public School Spending 

• Pennsylvania school districts spent $23,870 per student in 2024–25—about $4,000 more than the national average. 
• In 2024–25, taxpayers spent more than $38.4 billion on K–12 education at the local, state, and federal level.
  • State-only education spending reached $17.7 billion in the 2025–26 state budget. 

Declining Enrollment 

• 8 out of 10 Pennsylvania public school districts are experiencing enrollment decline, yet spending increases year over year. 
• There are 1,486,147 K–12 students enrolled in Pennsylvania’s school districts, down nearly 19,000 from the previous year and 319,000 from 1999-2000. 
• Today, there are 80,708 fewer K–12 students in Pennsylvania’s district schools than in 2019–20, a 5 percent enrollment decline.

Adequacy Funds 

• In 2025–26, the state distributed more than $1 billion in supplemental adequacy funds to school districts—funds layered on top of basic education funding. 
• These additional funds did not improve student performance in statewide exams. 
• The average statewide supplemental funding increased by 442 percent from 2019 to 2026, while the average percentage of students achieving proficiency decreased by 18.8 percent (Pennsylvania System School Assessment) and 21.6 percent (Keystone Exam). 

Reserve Funds 

• Year after year, Pennsylvania school districts stockpile taxpayer resources. The Pennsylvania Department of Education reports $7.1 billion* in collective general fund reserves held by districts—$2.3 billion more than what they held in 2019–20. 

*18 school districts failed to report their reserves as of June 25, 2026. 

Rachel Langan, senior education policy analyst for the Commonwealth Foundation, issued the following statement in response: 

“Inflated spending fails to address the root causes of the education problem: a lack of options. For students trapped in failing schools, additional funds do little to benefit the quality of their education. Some of the poorest schools in the state receive the highest levels of supplemental funding—with little to no academic improvement. 

“Education funding that follows the student, not the system, will offer transformative educational options to families who otherwise couldn’t afford it. Children can then access the school that best serves their needs, not just the one that matches their zip code.  

“Programs like EITC and OSTC have helped more than a million children access a high-quality education. Expansion of these programs, along with new choice options like the federal scholarship tax credit upon the governor’s opt in, will transform Pennsylvania education and its students. 

“In this year’s budget negotiations, lawmakers must focus on expanding educational options, not funding status-quo education.”

Commonwealth Foundation also released new polling showing Pennsylvania voters’ attitudes towards education priorities and the state budget. You can find the results here.