HARRISBURG, June 18, 2015 − Senator Vincent Hughes released the following statement on the recommendations of the Basic Education Funding Commission:
“First, I want to applaud the work of the Commission members and the effort they put into this critical issue. It’s encouraging that a group of bipartisan lawmakers from both chambers in the General Assembly and the Governor’s Office can work together on such a vital issue as funding our schools. I fully support the Commission’s proposed funding formula, which represents an important step toward closing the staggering education funding inequalities that exist in our state.
“Pennsylvania’s public education system recently received national media attention for being the most inequitable in the nation. This is intolerable and must be addressed. That’s why we must first restore the cuts that were leveled at our poorest school districts in 2011 before implementing this formula. That means enacting Governor Wolf’s proposed education budget to set an appropriate foundation for these districts to close the equity gap.
“Pennsylvania must make continued investments in our students in an equitable fashion to provide all of our students the opportunity to learn and succeed. The combination of an equitable formula and the Governor’s plan for ongoing investments in our schools can be historic steps towards fixing the sorry state of education funding in Pennsylvania.”
Senator Vincent Hughes represents the 7th Senatorial District, which includes parts of Philadelphia and Montgomery County. He is also the Democratic Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee.
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