Education
Pennsylvania School Funding Reaches $23,000 per Student in 2024
Pennsylvania Public School Spending is Growing Public school spending reaches historic levels year after year. Pennsylvania public school revenue per student increased to $23,061 in the 2023-24 school year, up…
Read More: Pennsylvania School Funding Reaches $23,000 per Student in 2024Pennsylvania’s future is in the hands of the next generation. Parents and students—not activist agendas—should drive the Commonwealth’s education policy. While policymakers have been entrusted with ensuring the next generation receives a quality education, parents should be empowered to choose the quality education that meets their unique child’s needs. Charter schools and tax credit scholarships are integral pieces of school choice, but more reforms are needed to make educational choice a reality for all Pennsylvania students.
Education
Pennsylvania Student Test Scores Are In—and They Don’t Look Great
The 2025 results of Pennsylvania’s annual standardized tests are out, with mediocre results. The Pennsylvania System of Student Assessment (PSSA) tests students in grades 3 through 8 in reading…
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Despite Shapiro’s Failed Leadership, 2025-26 Budget Secures Key Permitting Wins, Ends Threat of RGGI
Harrisburg, Pa., November 12, 2025 — Despite Gov. Josh Shapiro’s failed leadership and a 135-day stalemate, Pennsylvania lawmakers passed a compromise budget for the 2025–2026 fiscal year. The Commonwealth Foundation has released…
Press Release
Read More: Despite Shapiro’s Failed Leadership, 2025-26 Budget Secures Key Permitting Wins, Ends Threat of RGGIEducation
What You Need to Know About Pennsylvania’s 2025-26 State Budget
Summary Four months late, Gov. Josh Shapiro and state lawmakers agreed on a state budget deal. The agreement spends $1.4 billion less than Shapiro’s reckless, extreme proposal, and uses excessive…
Backgrounder
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Josh Shapiro: Least Productive Pennsylvania Governor in at Least 50 Years
Summary Nearly three years in office, a Commonwealth Foundation analysis finds Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first term is the least productive of any Pennsylvania gubernatorial term in at least 50 years.
Fact Sheet
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“Groundbreaking Academic Improvements” in Philly Schools? Hardly!
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Imagine a hospital with a 17% survival rate. Would you be willing to listen to the hospital’s CEO brag about…
Media Hit
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Low-Achieving and Violent Public Schools in Pennsylvania
Overview Students attending low-achieving public schools experience violence at nearly twice the rate of students attending higher-achieving schools and are more likely to experience violence involving a weapon.
Fact Sheet
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School Districts Hoarding Millions Claim the State is “Bleeding” Them
As the Pennsylvania budget stalemate approaches its fourth month, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the state’s failure to release education funding is “bleeding” school districts in lost interest income.
Blog
Read More: School Districts Hoarding Millions Claim the State is “Bleeding” ThemEducation
Students Trapped in Violent Schools Need an Escape
Originally published by Broad + Liberty. Violence terrorized students at Carrick High School in Pittsburgh. A student armed with a knife stabbed three other students—two of them…
Media Hit
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Commonwealth Foundation Teams Up with U.S. Sen. McCormick to Promote Educational Choice
The Commonwealth Foundation was, once again, at the center of the ongoing struggle for educational freedom in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. U.S. Senator Dave McCormick hosted a town-hall event,…
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Philadelphia’s Educational Double Standard
Originally published by The Philadelphia Citizen. The Philadelphia Board of Education has had enough with abysmal academic records—sort of. The school board recently voted not…
Media Hit
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School Districts Claim to be “Underfunded” During Budget Impasse, Despite Massive Reserve Funds
Winston Churchill famously said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Pennsylvania school districts have adopted this approach, using the current state budget impasse as a pretext to raise…
Blog
Read More: School Districts Claim to be “Underfunded” During Budget Impasse, Despite Massive Reserve FundsEducation
Commonwealth Foundation Joins National Coalition to Advance Civics Education
The Commonwealth Foundation has partnered with a broad coalition of organizations and the U.S. Department of Education to strengthen civics education nationwide. On Constitution Day, the U.S. Department of Education—in…
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The Violent Schools Democratic Governors Don’t Want You to Know About
Originally published by the Daily Caller. Democratic governors have recently made headlines by downplaying the violence their constituents face daily. But what’s even more alarming is the amount of school…
Media Hit
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Students Need Alternatives
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Despite the Pennsylvania budget being more than two months late, Gov. Josh Shapiro still found time for a photo opportunity…
Media Hit
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New Poll: Inflation, Economy, Taxes, and Crime Top Voter Concerns, Pennsylvanians Hold Shapiro Responsible for Budget Impasse
Harrisburg, Pa., September 3, 2025 — Fewer than 4-in-10 Pennsylvania voters believe the state is on the right track, according to new polling released today by the Commonwealth Foundation.
Press Release
Read More: New Poll: Inflation, Economy, Taxes, and Crime Top Voter Concerns, Pennsylvanians Hold Shapiro Responsible for Budget ImpasseEducation
Rethinking School District Reserve Funds as Students Return to Class
Pennsylvania must focus on funding students. Overview After years of property tax hikes and significant increases in state funding, Pennsylvania school districts ended the 2023–24 school year with more than…
Backgrounder
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Back to School—With Billions in the Bank
As Pennsylvania kids head back to school, many classrooms will look the same: crowded hallways, aging buildings, and parents hearing the familiar trope that schools “don’t have enough money.” But…
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New TV/Digital Ad: Shapiro’s Budget Impasse is Failing Kids & Families
Harrisburg, Pa., August 22, 2025 — Today, the Commonwealth Foundation launched a new ad, calling for Gov. Josh Shapiro to end the budget impasse with a compromise that protects families…
Press Release
Read More: New TV/Digital Ad: Shapiro’s Budget Impasse is Failing Kids & FamiliesEducation
Pennsylvania Students Can’t Succeed if They Aren’t Safe
Originally published by The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. According to federal and state law, the Keystone State owes parents of students attending dangerous schools the chance to transfer…
Media Hit
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Pennsylvania has a Problem with Dangerous Schools
A sweeping new analysis by the Commonwealth Foundation reveals that Pennsylvania’s approach to identifying and responding to dangerous conditions in public schools falls short and may…
Blog
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More Options
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Pennsylvania public schools continue to fail kids with special needs. According to recent coverage by The…
Media Hit
Read More: More Options