New report on "deteriorating" and "desperate" financial condition of PA. school districts

[JPZenger]

http://www.scribd.com/doc/94424718/PASBO-PASA-Report-on-effects-of-school-funding-cuts-in-Pennsylvania

"The financial condition of Pennsylvania’s public school districts is declining from “difficult” in the currentschool year to “desperate” in 2012-13.

Following cuts of about $900 million in 2011-12, the Governor’s budget proposal to eliminate $100 million in Accountability Block Grant funding, plus flat local tax revenues and increased operating costs which are forcingschool districts to spend down reserves, are combining to produce financial conditions in which 53 percent of school districts report their financial conditions will worsen in 2012-13.

The third annual PASBO-PASA School District Budget Survey reveals a rapid decline in school district financial conditions, forcing school districts to cut programs that directly affect student learning, including kindergarten, core academic courses, tutoring programs and summer school. The survey of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts reveals the collective, harmful effects on student instruction of the end of federal stimulus funds, additional cuts in statefunding and stagnant local revenues for the state’s 1.7 million public school students. As teachers, counselors, custodians, bus drivers and administrators are furloughed and vacant positions go unfilled, the ultimate losers will be students, who will have reduced learning opportunities through larger classsizes in core subjects and fewer, if any, art, music, physical education, family and consumer science, foreign language, advanced placement and elective courses. Fewer students will have access to a school library.

Students who are struggling will have reduced opportunities to get back on track with assistance from tutoring programs or summer school. Students and their families will face new or increased fees to participate inextracurricular activities, including sports –where they still exist."

More at the link

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The Legislature is now deciding upon how much of the unanticipated state revenues will be used to restore funding cuts, and how much will be put into a rainy day fund. So far, the State Senate and the State House Appropriations Committee have voted to provide $100 million more in public school funds than the Governor proposed. However, they are not proposing to offset increased costs to school districts or to restore any of the $950 million in funding reductions that public schools suffered last year.

There also has been little movement in reforming charter school funding (particularly overfunded and unsuccessful cybercharters), in increasing the fairness of special education funding, or in reducing unfunded mandates upon public schools.

School districts are also experiencing huge increases in pension costs because of a law signed by Governor Ridge that allowed the state government to avoid paying their share pension payments in the past. The employees have always paid their share each year.

[Old and In the Way]

1. Hey, it's only public education.

Not like this country has an interest in educating citizens for the 21st Century when there are taxcuts needed to keep the top 5% in swimming pools and golf courses.