Education

Do School Districts have to Raise Property Taxes?

  • Elizabeth Stelle
  • March 25, 2011

Following Gov. Corbett’s budget, school district officials and the tax-and-spend lobby have cried that cuts to state education spending will force schools to increase property taxes.  Yet this ignores several…

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State Budget

Understanding the Pennsylvania State Budget

  • Nathan Benefield
  • March 7, 2011

Pennsylvania's total state operating budget for FY 2010-11 is approximately $65.4 billion-or $5,193 for every man, woman and child in the commonwealth.  This policy brief looks at the entire state…

Fact Sheet

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State Budget

Why PA State Debt is “So Low”?

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 17, 2010

Yesterday, during his mid-year budget briefing, Gov. Rendell repeated his claims that Pennsylvania state debt is pretty low, less than $1,000 per resident, and much lower (relative to state GDP)…

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Education

Auditor General Hits the Wrong Target

  • Nathan Benefield
  • October 6, 2010

Here is a note I sent to Pennsylvania Auditor General Jack Wagner regarding his call for a moratorium on new charter schools until the funding mechanism is “fixed”:…

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Education

Cyber School Rewarded for Its Effectiveness

  • July 23, 2010

Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has renewed the charter for the state’s first cyber charter school to offer all grades K-12. CEO Dr. Nick Trombetta acknowledged this accomplishment:…

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Education

Pennsylvania Education Spending

  • June 29, 2010

Pennsylvania's education spending increased from $4 billion in 1980 to over $25 billion in 2009-a 133% increase in per-pupil spending, after adjusting for inflation. School construction and debt spending has…

Fact Sheet

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State Budget

Pennsylvania State & Local Taxpayer Debt

  • May 11, 2010

Gov. Ed Rendell frequently argues that Pennsylvania taxpayers can afford to incur more state debt.  However, in order to justify the borrowing of billions of dollars, the governor conveniently ignores…

Fact Sheet

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Education

PA’s “Race to the Top” Plan Upsets Cyber Schools and PSEA

  • Nathan Benefield
  • January 11, 2010

The Pennsylvania Department of Education’s “Race to the Top” plan – attempting to get about $400 million from federal taxpayers via the “stimulus” – has drawn a number of critics.

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