Deep Poverty is a Deep Problem in the Region
More than 60,000 children live in deep poverty in Philadelphia, making the city the poorest big city in America, according to the latest U.S. Census Data. “Deep poverty” means the average family of three lives on less than $10,000 a year. At that level parents often need to choose between food, paying rent, or meeting medical bills. It’s simply not enough to provide proper food, shelter and care for a growing child.
Above graphic from the Philadelphia Inquirer. See their full story here.
An even greater number of our region’s children live below the official poverty line which means a household income of approximately $20,000 for a family of three. PCCY’s analysis of the data found that 123,000 children in Philadelphia lived in poverty in 2013 and that child poverty grew dramatically in the suburbs since the start of the recession in 2007. The startling number of children in poverty will have serious consequences for schools and communities across the region. Respected researchers find that children who live in poverty are more likely to drop out of school and reports show that poverty causes levels of trauma and stress that cause children to develop depression and other behavioral health problems. The U.S. Census data report shows that although the stock market is relatively strong and the U.S. economy is showing signs of recovery, a larger and larger share of children and their families in our region are falling through the cracks.
Click here to read the full report from the U.S. Census Bureau.
Passing a New Education Funding Formula is No Sure Bet
Education is the top issue in this year’s election according to a new Franklin and Marshall poll. Voters clearly want their elected leaders to solve the state’s school funding crisis. The State Legislature had the chance to tackle the crisis head-on when it passed the state budget in July of this year. Instead, it punted and created the Basic Education Funding Commission to study the issue.
The Commission is expected to submit recommendations for a new funding formula by June, 2015. Unfortunately, the Commission’s work may fall short of solving the funding problem since it is not required to determine if schools are properly funded, or what level of funding is needed to provide a quality education in Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts. Also, the legislation that created the Commission does not require the State Legislature to enact the Commission’s findings once they are complete.
Against the backdrop of the Commission, the Pennsylvania House and Senate passed the cigarette tax rate increase in Philadelphia earlier this week. Surprisingly, seven local lawmakers voted against this measure. They are:
- Sen. Chuck McIlhinney
- Rep. John Lawrence
- Rep. Duane Milne
- Rep. Mark Painter
- Rep. Thomas Sankey
- Rep. Marcy Toepel
- Rep. Dan Truit
Their opposition to this easy vote may be an early warning sign that members of the General Assembly can’t be counted on to do what is needed for our schools. Fortunately, PCCY has helped form a powerful statewide coalition that will push for the adoption of a fair school funding formula. The coalition launch will be on October 6th in the State Capitol. Click here to join us at this exciting and very important kickoff to the work to finally get our schools the resources they need.
If you can’t make it there, the first hearing of the school funding commission in our region will be held on October 16th in Montgomery County at 10:00 am. Can you come to the hearing and make sure Commission members know that the residents of this region are depending on them to propose a fair formula that meets the needs of all students? Click here to sign up to come with us to the hearing.
Click here for more information about the Basic Education Funding Commission.
Great News! Grant Expands Access to High Quality Early Learning
The bad news is that only about six percent of early learning providers in Philadelphia are considered high-quality, according to Public Health Management Corporation (PHMC) and the Pre-K for PA campaign points out that only 30% of all Philadelphia children who are three or four years old can enroll in a high-quality early learning program. But the good news is that’s about to change, thanks to a three-year, $7.6 million grant from the Fund for Quality, that will add 850 slots to high-quality programs in the city. The grants from the William Penn Foundation and The Reinvestment Fund were awarded to 14 programs to help renovate and expand early learning facilities to serve low-income children in areas of the city with the greatest need. Bevin Parker-Cerkez, Project Director for the Fund for Quality said “This work will result in the expansion of high-quality care in areas of Philadelphia where it is most needed, complementing the Reinvestment Fund’s ongoing efforts to build healthy, vibrant communities.” According to our calculations these new funds will expand the pool of high quality early learning slots in the City by more than 5%. Kudos to the William Penn Foundation and The Reinvestment Fund!
Click here to learn more about the Fund for Quality.
Got some free time this weekend? Check out the 6-part web series from The Notebook called “Summer Lost” to see the impact of summer learning loss and how PCCY and others are fighting to stop it through the READ By 4th! Campaign.