Seeking to address inequitable education funding, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed 2024-25 budget makes a significant investment in public schools.
At a glance: The budget calls for a more than $1 billion investment in funding for basic education — the lifeline to state aid for school districts — bringing the state aid to nearly $9 billion. The bulk of that, $872 million, would address funding inequities among the state’s 500 school districts raised in a 2023 court ruling that found the funding disparities were unconstitutional. While his budget doesn’t include funding for a school vouchers, Shapiro’s support for such a program remains strong as he indicated in his budget speech to give “Pennsylvanians the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.”