Education
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
Read More: Tax Credit Scholarship Myths and FactsEducation
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
Read More: NEW ANALYSIS: Public School Enrollment Declines as State Spending ClimbsEducation
Education Landscape in Pennsylvania
Overview There are approximately two million school-age children in the commonwealth. Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) 2025–26 enrollment reports show 73.5 percent attend their assigned district…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Education Landscape in Pennsylvania
New Philly Schools Report Shows Increased Spending on Staff, Declining Enrollment, and Worse Academic Outcomes
In March, with no fanfare, the School District of Philadelphia posted its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR). The new report shows that, despite record-level spending, district…
Blog
Read More: New Philly Schools Report Shows Increased Spending on Staff, Declining Enrollment, and Worse Academic OutcomesEducation
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…
Blog
Read More: Pennsylvania Student Test Scores Are In—and They Don’t Look GreatEducation
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
Read More: Low-Achieving and Violent Public Schools in PennsylvaniaEducation
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
Read More: Rethinking School District Reserve Funds as Students Return to ClassEducation
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
Read More: Educational Choice Myth and Facts 2025Education
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…
Fact Sheet
Read More: Pennsylvania School Funding Reaches $23,000 per Student in 2024