Education
School District Reserve Funds Remain Bloated
Overview Pennsylvania school districts hold $12.9 billion in reserve funds, including $7.2 billion in general fund reserves. Public school districts receive more than $23,800 per student–among the highest in the…
Fact Sheet
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Who Holds Pennsylvania’s Public Schools Accountable?
Originally published by PennLive. A recent PennLive article asks, “Who holds Pennsylvania’s private schools accountable?” That question is easy to answer: parents. Does the…
Media Hit
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Funding School Buildings Instead of Students: How State Ready to Learn Block Grants Reward Failing Systems
Summary Under the Ready to Learn Block grant, nearly half of the $565 million increase in 2026 funding goes to 15 school districts. Thirteen of these districts run low-achieving schools.
Fact Sheet
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Federal Scholarship Tax Credit Myths and Facts
Summary Beginning in 2027, the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) will provide tax credit scholarships to K–12 students living in states that opt in to the…
Fact Sheet
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Civics Education for America’s 250th Birthday
Summary The 250th anniversary of America’s founding provides an opportunity for parents, teachers, and students to focus on the core values and principles that shaped our nation. Civics education is…
Fact Sheet
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Tax Credit Scholarship Myths and Facts
Summary Pennsylvania’s tax credit scholarship programs, the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and the Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC), provide more than 100,000 scholarships annually to low- and middle-income K–12…
Fact Sheet
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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…
Press Release
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2026 State of Education Spending in Pennsylvania
Overview Demographic trends, most notably declining enrollments, have led to empty school buildings that are costly to operate, forcing considerations on…
Backgrounder
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Balancing the 2026 State Budget
Controlling and Prioritizing Spending Can Help Balance the Budget Summary Gov. Josh Shapiro’s 2026–27 budget proposal spends $3.2 billion more than last year and drains the Rainy-Day Fund, increasing the…
Fact Sheet
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