Education Law Center calls on policymakers to resume negotiations on budget that invests in our children

December 29, 2015

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Deborah Gordon Klehr, Executive Director of the Education Law Center-PA, issued the following statement following the Governor’s Budget Address:

“We are pleased that the Governor exercised his line-item veto powers this morning to force all parties back to the negotiating table. We agree that the release of emergency funding is necessary to ensure that schools remain open during this impasse, but let’s be clear: Emergency funding is not sufficient and certainly not a long-term solution. All parties must immediately resume negotiations on a final budget package that makes needed investments in our children.

“The compromise budget that legislative leaders and the Governor agreed to several weeks ago is not perfect – but it is an important step in the right direction. Pennsylvania has the largest funding gap in the nation between rich and poor school districts, and its state share of public education funding is among the lowest in the country. The proposed compromise budget would begin to fund a bipartisan funding formula designed to address these historic inequities and entrenched funding inadequacies. It would also begin to provide schools with much-needed resources and help ensure that all children have access to a quality education no matter where they live.

“We urge our state policymakers to come back to the table and pass an adequate budget to support our schools. We must ensure that every child in Pennsylvania has the tools necessary to succeed, and that can only happen with a budget that reflects Pennsylvanians’ priorities and puts children first.”

# # #

The Education Law Center is a non-profit, legal advocacy organization dedicated to ensuring that all children in Pennsylvania have access to a quality education. Through litigation, information, and advocacy, we advance the rights of vulnerable children of color, in poverty, in foster care, homeless or with disabilities, and English language learners. We are leaders in the statewide Fight for Fair Funding for all schools, Ensuring Equal Access to education for all children, and Dismantling the School-to-Prison Pipeline that pushes young people out of school and into the criminal justice system.

Learn more: www.elc-pa.org | @edlawcenterpa | facebook