Broken promises

Originally published at the Philadelphia Inquirer

The Inquirer left someone out in its coverage of the “winners and losers” of the new state budget: kids in Pennsylvania’s low-achieving schools. Once again, these students got the short end of the fiscal stick. For years, these students and families have pleaded for educational alternatives to their underperforming, violent district schools — and lawmakers failed to deliver, again. One such option — Lifeline Scholarships — was notably absent from the budget. This program, also known as the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success, would provide low-income students with the financial assistance they need to attend a better school.

For the second consecutive year, Gov. Josh Shapiro broke his promise of Lifeline Scholarships. Though he claimed to champion the program, the governor vetoed it from last year’s budget. This year, he didn’t even lift a finger to advocate for Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable kids. Shapiro’s betrayal flies in the face of the program’s popularity. Three-fourths of Pennsylvanians (including a large majority of Black and Hispanic voters) support Lifeline Scholarships. Certainly, voters lose when elected officials refuse to deliver on their promises. But it’s even worse when they force low-income students to endure another year in their failing school.

Read more at the Philadelphia Inquirer