State Budget
Shapiro’s Taxpayer-Funded Vanity
Gov. Josh Shapiro wants you to think he is a superhero. The governor released a new video, casting himself as a video-game fighter battling for Pennsylvanians against greed and…
Blog
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Is Shapiro Different?
Welcome to Common Sense Weekly! This is the Commonwealth Foundation’s weekly news roundup of policy issues debated in Harrisburg and across Pennsylvania. Josh Shapiro isn’t a “different Democrat” Gov. Josh…
Blog
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Record Tax Credit Scholarship Waiting List Shows Growing Demand for Education Options
Summary Pennsylvania scholarship organizations awarded a record 85,570 K–12 scholarships through the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) in the 2022-23 school year. The average…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania Public Schools are Failing — and More Money Won’t Help
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Imagine bringing home a report card full of Ds and Fs. How would your parents react? Also, would this be a good time…
Media Hit
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Pennsylvania Public Schools: Nation’s Report Card 2024
Summary Despite $4.1 billion in education funding increases over the last four years, Pennsylvania public schools did not rank in the top 10 for any category…
Fact Sheet
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Audit Shows Pennsylvania Cyber Charter Schools are Fiscally Responsible
Cyber charter schools need reserve funds to ensure their continued operation despite fluctuations in their unpredictable funding. CORRECTION: A previous version of this release incorrectly stated that the fund…
Press Release
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Governor Shapiro’s 2025 Budget Proposal: An Extreme Spending Binge
Overview Gov. Josh Shapiro’s radical overspending exacerbates what is already a massive budget deficit. His plan imposes new taxes this year and will force extreme tax hikes on working families…
Fact Sheet
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Pennsylvania’s Students Fall Behind in Math and Reading, Despite $4.1 Billion School Funding Boost
Harrisburg, Pa., January 29, 2025 – The Nation’s Report Card, released this morning by the U.S. Department of Education, showed that 69% of Pennsylvania 8th grade students aren’t…
Press Release
Read More: Pennsylvania’s Students Fall Behind in Math and Reading, Despite $4.1 Billion School Funding BoostEducation
2025 State of Education Spending in Pennsylvania
Overview The national trends impacting education in Pennsylvania in 2025 include an impending fiscal cliff, under-enrolled schools, and population decline, all of which lead to school closures…
Backgrounder
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