Civil Rights Complaint Highlights Persistent Discriminatory Policies in Pennridge School District
Nine months after filing a federal civil rights complaint on behalf of parents and students in the Pennridge School District, families and legal advocates today filed an amended complaint alleging that this Bucks County school district continues to perpetuate a “hostile environment” for students of color and LGBTQ+ students.
MoreBasic Education Funding Commission Plan Could Be Life-Changing for Pa. Students
The proposal from the bipartisan commission charged with developing a remedy for the state’s unconstitutional school funding system sets targets for adequate funding in every school district, based on student need and current spending in successful districts. In the proposal, adopted Jan. 11, 2024, commissioners acknowledge a total funding shortfall statewide of $5.4 billion and…
MoreState Budget Nearly Finalized; Private School Vouchers Blocked … for Now
Last night, the Pennsylvania House and Senate finally both approved a new state budget for 2023-24. With our co-counsel at the Public Interest Law Center, we issued a joint statement on the state budget and the blocking of a private school voucher bill. Read our statement here. There is critical work to be done in…
MoreHistoric Victory in the Fight for Fair Funding!
On Feb. 7, Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer issued her ruling in the Pennsylvania school funding case. The Education Law Center-PA and the Public Interest Law Center, who represent petitioners in the case, released the following joint statement: “Today’s decision declaring Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional is a historic victory for Pennsylvania’s public school children. It will…
MoreRead ELC’s New Special Education Funding Report
The Education Law Center’s new report Fixing the Special Education Funding Gap details the large decline in the state share of special education funding over the past decade. Inadequate funding for basic education and special education programs creates a dual funding gap, one that particularly affects students in low wealth school districts. These districts serve…
MoreGov. Wolf Signs Credit Transfer Bill
Students facing some of the greatest barriers to timely high school graduation finally get some relief. On January 26, Governor Wolf signed SB 324 into law as Act 1 of 2022, bringing a successful conclusion to a 10-year effort. The law requires school districts to provide one-on-one assistance to students who are at risk of…
MoreTrial Date in School Funding Lawsuit Now Scheduled for Nov. 12
Despite an unanticipated one-month delay, public school students in Pennsylvania will soon have their day in court. Commonwealth Court Judge Renée Cohn Jubelirer has scheduled a trial start date of November 12, 2021, in our historic lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s school funding system, William Penn School District et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education et al. The judge…
MoreJudge Sets Oct. 12 Start Date for Trial in Historic Pa. School Funding Lawsuit
Public school students in Pennsylvania will soon have their day in court. A Commonwealth Court judge has scheduled a trial start date of October 12, 2021, in our historic lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s school funding system, William Penn School District et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education et al. Attorneys expect the trial in Harrisburg to last…
MoreELC Applauds Mask Mandate for Schools, Urges Swift Implementation
The Education Law Center applauded the Wolf administration’s Aug. 31 announcement of a universal statewide mask mandate for all Pennsylvania public schools, effective September 7. The order will create safe learning environments during the pandemic while establishing appropriate exceptions for students and school staff with qualifying disabilities. Masks have proven to be highly effective at…
MoreLevel Up: A Campaign to Boost 100 Severely Underfunded PA School Districts
Education Law Center, along with a coalition of more than a dozen education advocacy organizations from across the commonwealth, has launched a campaign to increase state funding for the 100 most underfunded school districts in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania has some of the nation’s widest gaps between wealthy and poor school districts. The focus is legislation introduced…
MoreTentative Trial Date Is Set in Pennsylvania School Funding Lawsuit
Public school students in Pennsylvania will soon have their day in court. A Commonwealth Court order released April 1 tentatively scheduled a trial start date of September 9, 2021, in a historic lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s school funding system. [Note: The trial start date was ultimately pushed back to Nov. 12.] Attorneys expect the trial to last several…
MoreFunding Lawsuit Moves Closer to Trial with Ruling That Parents Will Remain in Case
In a ruling March 8 by Commonwealth Court, a judge held that two Pennsylvania parents who were among those who filed the landmark lawsuit in 2014 challenging Pennsylvania’s school funding system as unconstitutional will be able to pursue their claims, even though their children have now graduated from high school. The ruling is a victory…
MoreHelp Make PA Schools More Supportive of Immigrant, Refugee Families
Do you want to help make your school district more welcoming and supportive for immigrant and refugee students and families? Education Law Center is partnering with the Pennsylvania Immigration and Citizenship Coalition (PICC) to collect anonymous and confidential responses from immigrant and refugee students in grades 4-12 and parents with children in grades K-12 to…
MoreParents in Chester Upland Ask Court to Suspend Charter School Conversion Process, Conducted in Secret
Parents and a community organization in Chester Upland School District have filed an emergency motion to suspend a process to outsource the entire district’s operations and schools to charter operators. This request for proposals process has taken place in secret, with no public notice and no opportunities for parents and other community members to weigh…
MoreNational Report Exposes Harmful Academic Credit Transfer Policies, Practices for Youth in Juvenile Justice System
Philadelphia, PA (October 8, 2020): Juvenile Law Center, Southern Poverty Law Center, and Education Law Center-PA have released the report Credit Overdue: How States Can Mitigate Academic Credit Transfer Problems for Youth in the Juvenile Justice System. The report details the problems facing tens of thousands of youth on any given day in our country…
MoreELC Urges PA Officials to Instruct Schools On How To Ensure Equity During Closures
For immediate release: April 3, 2020 Following a March letter on concerns of educational equity signed by more than 80 organizations, a letter from the Education Law Center this week is urging Gov. Wolf and Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera to provide “clear, detailed guidance” to school districts on what steps they can take to…
MoreELC Files Complaint Against Charter School, Challenging Refusal to Admit Child with Disability
ELC filed a complaint in Pennsylvania’s Common Pleas Court on October 17, 2019, on behalf of a first-grade student who was illegally denied enrollment in a public charter school on the basis of her disability. ELC contends that this action by Mathematics, Civics and Sciences Charter School (MCSCS) of Philadelphia violates the child’s rights under…
MoreOpen Letter to PA Special Education Funding Commission from PA Schools Work Campaign
The Special Education Funding Commission of the Pennsylvania legislature reconvened August 27, 2019, for the first time in nearly six years to examine the impact of the 2014 funding formula that now directs state special education funding. Education Law Center joined with the statewide PA Schools Work campaign to issue an open letter with a…
MoreEducation Law Center Applauds Gov. Wolf’s Call for Charter Reform
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf announced August 13 that he is preparing to introduce regulations and propose new legislation governing the state’s charter schools. The Education Law Center shares his sense of urgency in addressing the issues of poor academic performance, equity concerns, and rapidly growing costs of charters and looks forward to working with state…
MoreGovernor’s Executive Order Calls for Reform of Residential Placements: A Joint Statement With Juvenile Law Center
Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf signed an executive order on July 31, creating a new Office of Advocacy and Reform, with a new Child Advocate position to act as an ombudsman for youth in the state’s residential facilities. The order establishes a 25-member Council on Reform, tasked with developing a report and recommendations by Nov. 1 to ensure the…
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