Education

New Poll: Inflation, Economy, Taxes, and Crime Top Voter Concerns, Pennsylvanians Hold Shapiro Responsible for Budget Impasse 

  • September 3, 2025

Harrisburg, Pa., September 3, 2025 — Fewer than 4-in-10 Pennsylvania voters believe the state is on the right track, according to new polling released today by the Commonwealth Foundation.

Press Release

Read More: New Poll: Inflation, Economy, Taxes, and Crime Top Voter Concerns, Pennsylvanians Hold Shapiro Responsible for Budget Impasse 

Education

Persistently Dangerous Pennsylvania Public Schools

  • Rachel Langan
  • August 4, 2025

Calculating danger based only on arrests ignores student safety. Overview New analysis by the Commonwealth Foundation shows that Pennsylvania violates state and federal law by failing to identify persistently dangerous…

Backgrounder

Read More: Persistently Dangerous Pennsylvania Public Schools

Education

Shadow School Choice: When Public Schools Turn Students Away 

  • Rachel Langan
  • March 19, 2025

Summary The School District of Philadelphia outsources special education to private schools when the district is unable to meet the student’s special education needs. The U.S. Department of Education guarantees…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Shadow School Choice: When Public Schools Turn Students Away 

Education

2025 State of Education Spending in Pennsylvania

  • January 22, 2025

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

Read More: 2025 State of Education Spending in Pennsylvania

Education

Pa. School Funding Reaches $22,000 per Student in 2023

  • May 20, 2024

Pennsylvania Public School Spending Is Growing Over the last decade, state spending on Pennsylvania public schools reached all-time highs year after year. Pennsylvania per-pupil public school funding increased to $21,985…

Fact Sheet

Read More: Pa. School Funding Reaches $22,000 per Student in 2023

Education

Myth vs. Fact as Wolf Announces Education Plans

  • February 2, 2016

Myth vs. Fact as Wolf Announces Education Plans Pa. Spends $3,400 More Per Student than the National Average February 2, 2016, HARRISBURG, Pa.—Today at 2 p.m., Gov. Wolf…

Press Release

Read More: Myth vs. Fact as Wolf Announces Education Plans

Education

Wolf Misleads About Education “Cuts”

  • Nathan Benefield
  • December 29, 2015

On Christmas Eve, Gov. Tom Wolf posted a blog attacking Republicans and the “extremist” budget now sitting on his desk—which passed the Senate on a bipartisan 33-17 vote. Wolf…

Media

Read More: Wolf Misleads About Education “Cuts”

Of Volkswagens and Public Schools

  • Nathan Benefield
  • June 29, 2015

In a story by Capitolwire (paywall), state Rep. Curtis Thomas is quoted as saying, “We cannot ask children to give us Cadillac performance when you give them Volkswagen dollars to…

Media

Read More: Of Volkswagens and Public Schools

Education

School Funding Reform & Weighted Student Funding

  • James Paul, Nathan Benefield
  • December 4, 2014

Thank you for the opportunity to offer testimony to this commission on the important topic of reforming how we distribute state funding for education. Our written testimony will focus on…

Testimony

Read More: School Funding Reform & Weighted Student Funding