Education
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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Pennsylvania’s Adequacy Funding Formula Deserves Scrutiny
Originally published by The Bulletin. State Democratic lawmakers, including state Senate Majority Leader Jay Costa, are celebrating the newly passed state budget. “This budget builds on the incredible momentum…
Media Hit
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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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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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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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“Progress” Masks Failures
Originally published by The Philadelphia Inquirer. Celebrating Philadelphia schools’ post-pandemic progress misses the larger story. Yes, students have made gains—and hardworking…
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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
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Philly Schools Don’t Need More Money…
Originally published by The Philadelphia Citizen. A majority of the Philadelphia students receiving diplomas cannot read or do math at grade level. In 2025, …
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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
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