Candidates for Office Likely to Win When They are Pro Pre-K

With Election Day only 11 days away, a pair of recent statewide polls shows strong voter support for pre-k in Pennsylvania – especially among swing and important likely voters.

Sixty-three percent of Pennsylvania voters cited pre-k as either a “top priority” or “high priority” on their list of issues in a September poll by Terry Madonna Opinion Research.

These poll numbers are a bit higher, but not statistically different from a later poll that found that 58% of voters said improving access to high-quality pre-k programs should be a priority for the Governor in 2015.  Susquehanna Polling and Research, a firm that often conducts polls for Republican candidates carried out the later poll.

These latest polls show growing public support for state action to expand high quality pre-k.  Moreover, a September poll by the national bi-partisan team, Lake/Bellwether, found solid support for pre-k investments among two important groups of Pennsylvania voters: senior citizens and those who were undecided in the race for governor.

In fact, early education is riding a national wave that mirrors the increased voter concern in Pennsylvania. That wave is gaining energy in this state: the Lake/Bellwether poll repeated questions asked in December 2013 and found a 50% increase in voters who consider pre-k a top priority. That means voters are responding to the statewide Pre-K for PA campaign that PCCY helped initiate last year.

Pennsylvania voters are clear: those running for state level offices will increase their support among voters if they seriously commit to investing state funds expanding access to high-quality pre-k for every 3- and 4-year-old in the Commonwealth.

Councilmembers Propose More Local Funding for Philadelphia School District

More funds for Philadelphia schools could be available if a bill to tax electronic cigarettes is enacted by Philadelphia City Council.  Last week, Councilpersons Reynolds Brown and Greenlee proposed an ordinance that would impose a $2 tax on e-cigarettes, making their local taxation somewhat comparable to the recently enacted $2 per pack cigarette tax in Philadelphia.  The ordinance also calls for a 50 cent per milliliter increase on nicotine solution like e-cigarette refills.

In making the case for the bill, Councilwoman Reynolds Brown pointed out that “E-cigarette sales have increase by 8,400% since 2008 and are expected to jump by 25% annually for the foreseeable future.“  Neither the e-cigarette nor the nicotine solution is currently taxed at the state or local level.  Councilman Greenlee stressed that “it makes sense to bring e-cigarettes in line with the traditional combustible products.”   Councilwoman Reynolds Brown explained that she is pushing this ordinance because, “Every million dollars raised by this tax restores teaching aids or guidance counselors or programmatic activities that our students do not currently have, but deserve as much as any other student in Pennsylvania.”  This bill must now go to City Council’s Finance Committee, and if approved, will take effect on July 1, 2015.

Click here to let Council know you support this bill.

Click here to thank Councilpersons Reynolds Brown and Greenlee.

This move to boost the local contribution to the school district is a welcome sign that will hopefully be matched by state action to adopt and fund a fair school funding formula in FY 2015.  PCCY joined an impressive and broad based coalition of organizations statewide that is singularly focused on securing a full, fair, and equitable statewide funding formula.

Charter Oversight Subject of Local Audit

Philadelphia’s charter schools had a combined budget surplus of $117 million, compared to the District’s deficit of $68 million in FY 2013, according to a new report released by Philadelphia’s City Controller, Alan Butkovitz.  The Controller’s analysis uses data from 2008 through 2013, and reveals that Charter Schools had positive fund balances each of those years, while the District ended each year in the red.

Charter schools enabled by state law fourteen years ago now enroll 30 percent of all public school students.  The report points out substantial challenges with respect to charter school oversight including echoing the PCCY findings that some charters are failing to enroll students who are low income, are English Language Learners or need Special Education services.  The Controller recommends both fiscal and accountability reforms including — an overhaul of the Charter School Funding formula, taking into account student need and actual costs, especially for students in Special Education; a weighted funding formula for District schools; a five-year financial plan, created jointly by the District and the Charter Office; and reinstating state charter reimbursements to school districts.  Regarding accountability, the report recommends– strengthening the Charter School Office; maintaining PA’s single, local authorizer for Charter Schools; and a careful study of the Renaissance program to understand charters’ ability to turn-around low performing schools.

For more details on the report’s findings and recommendations, read the full report here.

Help PCCY make sure that our elected officials are aware of this informative report.  Click here to send them an email reminding them to read the report.