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
HB 1500 Harms Cyber School Students
Summary Pennsylvania public school revenue has risen by almost 5 percent in the last year to more than $23,000 per student. The commonwealth ranks seventh in the nation in spending…
Fact Sheet
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Shapiro Must Lead, Not Litigate
Originally published by PennLive. Gov. Josh Shapiro seems less interested in governing and more interested in reliving his days as attorney general. A federal judge recently …
Media Hit
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Universal School Choice Attracts More Educational Alternatives
If you build it, they will come. “It” is an educational framework that empowers students and families to choose the best school for their needs. “They” are the private schools…
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PA Families Need Two School Choice Victories
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. The following month could determine whether tens of thousands of Pennsylvania students get ahead—or continue to fall behind. That’s the reality as both Congress and…
Media Hit
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What Happens in Philly Schools’ “Rubber Rooms”?
Originally published by the Philadelphia Citizen. What happens in Philadelphia schools stays in Philadelphia schools—or so it seems based on the District’s lack of transparency. As The…
Media Hit
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Educational Choice Myth and Facts 2025
Summary Unfortunately, conversations about education choice are fraught with myths about accountability, funding, and who qualifies for choice programs. This fact sheet addresses the most common myths. Academic Accountability MYTH:School…
Fact Sheet
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Federal Lawmakers Flirt with Universal School Choice
During a rally in Pennsylvania, President Donald Trump promised to support universal school choice. And with the possible passage of the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA), he might…
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Public Schools Increased Spending to $23,000 Per Student, Ballooned Reserves While Enrollment Declined
Harrisburg, Pa., May 15, 2025 — Pennsylvania school districts increased overall revenue collected in 2023–24 to $23,000 per student, while expanding general fund reserves to $7.4 billion, according to new…
Press Release
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Pritzker and Shapiro are Two Progressive Peas in a Pod
In his recent Wall Street Journal feature about the presidential ambitions of Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, John McCormick floated Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro as an alternative…
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A Big Week for School Choice in Pennsylvania—and the United States
On Tuesday, school choice was the talk of the town in Harrisburg. Hundreds of students, parents, lawmakers, and activists convened on the steps of the state Capitol to rally support…
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Senate Education Committee Approves Bipartisan PASS Scholarships, Offering Lifeline to Students in Need
Harrisburg, Pa., May 6, 2025—Today, the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee approved legislation to establish the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success (PASS) Scholarships. Similar to the popular Lifeline Scholarship proposal, PASS…
Press Release
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PASS/Lifeline Scholarship Program
Overview Two proposals—Senate Bill 10, the Pennsylvania Award for Student Success Scholarship Program (PASS), and forthcoming Lifeline Scholarship legislation in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives—are separate but similar…
Fact Sheet
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VIDEO: Ohio School Choice Program Helps Students Find Success in College, New Study Finds
A scholarship program helped thousands of kids not only escape their failing schools and find a school of their choice but also graduate from college, according to a new…
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New Polling Shows Pennsylvanians Want School Choice
Nationwide, people continue to demand better academic opportunities for students and programs that allow funding to follow the child. This is especially true in Pennsylvania. New…
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Andrew Lewis on ‘This Week in Pennsylvania’
Andrew Lewis, Commonwealth Foundation’s President & CEO, joined Dennis Owens to discuss the education and energy policies that will empower all Pennsylvanians to thrive. Lewis called on Governor Josh…
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School Choice Surges as Public School Enrollment Declines
Statewide, public school enrollment is declining. More specifically, overall student enrollment is changing. In other words, parents are making different choices regarding where they send their children to school. How…
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Josh Shapiro Keeps Betraying Poor Pennsylvania Children
Originally published by The Wall Street Journal. Immanuel Christian School is in dire straits, but not for lack of students who want to go there. Demand is high for the…
Media Hit
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Without the Department of Education, Will Pennsylvania Students Survive?
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on March 20th to reduce the U.S. Department of Education to its essential functions, taking its first steps by…
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Gov. Shapiro’s appearance on ‘Real Time with Bill Maher’ smacked of unreality
Originally published by Lancaster Online. On the March 14 episode of “Real Time With Bill Maher,” Gov. Josh Shapiro gave an unreal performance — literally. Indeed,…
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Pennsylvanians Shouldn’t Worry About Education Dept.
Originally published by RealClearPennsylvania. The U.S. Department of Education might be going away—and it’s the right move—one that returns control to the states. Closing the…
Media Hit
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Shadow School Choice: When Public Schools Turn Students Away
Summary The School District of Philadelphia outsources special education to private schools when the district is unable to meet the student’s special education needs. The U.S. Department of Education guarantees…
Fact Sheet
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