Education

Pa. Education Spending Soars to All-Time High

• June 9, 2022

Key Points Pennsylvania school district spending per student increased to $19,900 in 2020–21.State support of public education is up 40 percent over the last decade, reaching an all-time high of…

Backgrounder

State Budget

How Government Overspending Hurts Pennsylvania Families

• Andrew Holman, Nathan Benefield
• January 31, 2022

Key Points Excessive government spending and borrowing is causing record-setting inflation and severe supply chain shortages.Voters want fiscal restraint from their government.High taxes and spending are making Pennsylvania uncompetitive, costing…

Backgrounder

State Budget

Pennsylvania’s Stalled Economy

• January 31, 2022

Summary In 2021, Pennsylvania lagged behind most states in recovering from the COVID-19 shutdown.Challenges like historic inflation and labor shortages will likely persist throughout 2022.This year, lawmakers can reverse these…

Fact Sheet

State Budget

2022 Pa. Budget Checklist

• January 31, 2022

Limit spending growth to the Taxpayer Protection Act (TPA) index The total General Fund spending increase should not exceed the TPA limit of 3.46 percent, or an additional $1.376 billion.

Fact Sheet

Taxes & Economy

Top Unemployment Compensation Reforms for Pennsylvania

• November 3, 2021

Overview Pennsylvania should reform its unemployment compensation system to pay down state debt, incentivize hiring, increase labor participation, and minimize fraudulent claims. Reforms should protect unemployment compensation for the individuals…

Fact Sheet

Pennsylvania’s Use of ARPA Funds

• Brandon Van Dyck
• September 23, 2021

ARPA is a $1.9 trillion federal bill passed in March 2021. Supporters of the legislation argued that our country needed the added spending to stimulate a nationwide recovery from the…

Fact Sheet

Education

Concentrating Resources on Failing Systems Instead of Students

• Stefanie Mason
• July 20, 2021

The 2021-22 budget has the largest state education funding increase in Pennsylvania history despite public schools receiving over $6.2 billion in federal COVID-19 relief funds. The funding increase includes a…

Fact Sheet

Education

Pennsylvania Public Schools? Pandemic Profits

• Stefanie Mason
• June 18, 2021

Since the early months of the pandemic, Pennsylvania school district bureaucrats and lobbyists have demanded additional funding, ostensibly to cover increased costs. A February Commonwealth Foundation report tracked the…

Media

Op-Ed: With $7 Billion to Spend, Lawmakers Must Avoid Past Mistakes

• June 16, 2021

The lesson is clear. If politicians use federal stimulus money to expand existing programs, their successors will face intense political pressure to make those spending increases permanent, compounding our structural…

Commentary