Report Card for Grown-Ups: C

For school funding, Harrisburg got a C, underperforming Ohio and New York. The cohort was walloped by keener New Jersey who earned the only A.

The Network for Public Education graded every state on 6 criteria regarding education, including school funding, where it rewarded states that recognize the need for more resources for students living in “settings of concentrated student poverty.”

Given the embarrassing results of this year’s self-inflicted wound (the budget crisis), the report card comment for Harrisburg might read, “More effort is required—in danger of repeating.”
Meanwhile, the state record stands in stark contrast to the City of Philadelphia.

While Harrisburg choked, Philadelphia stepped up to the funding plate, doing better than expected when viewed in a more relevant context than is often reported, according to Temple’s Center on Regional Politics.

From 2011-2014, the City of Philadelphia had the third highest increase in local support for schools among PA’s 500 districts. While the state average was 7%, Philadelphia increased it’s funding by nearly 28% to staunch the bleeding of cuts from Harrisburg during the Corbett administration.

Imagine if the Commonwealth had made the same commitment to our kids. Philly gets $1 billion from Harrisburg now but an additional $280 million in funding means approximately 2000 more hires, including nurses, counselors, phys. ed. and art teachers.

It may be tempting for the City to rest on its laurels but hopefully Philadelphia City Council recognize that state legislators set the bar so low we might as well call it a speed bump.

Mayor Kenney’s commitment on universal pre-k enjoyed a boost from a city commission report recommending work needed to make it a reality would cost $60 million and that the work should begin now.

As quality pre-k for all kids would strengthen our economy, make our communities stronger, and give our kids the leg up they need to succeed in school, it’s hard to argue against it. But the temptation to focus on pre-k while holding the line on school funding must be great.

But when you’re talking about something on the scale of a major growing city, merely holding the line just means slowing the rate of loss. As baffling as Harrisburg’s indifference to children may be, Council must stand with the district now more than ever and continue to invest in our public schools as they are the only ones not asleep at the wheel.

During this election year where voters have again declared education to be their top priority we hope our state legislators are paying attention and follow the leadership of City Council. Not because their reelection is at stake, but that good governance, not politicking, is the work they are charged to do.