Two days after signing Pennsylvania’s $50.85 billion budget, Gov. Josh Shapiro came to a South Philadelphia elementary school Tuesday to celebrate increased funding for public education.

From the stage inside Vare-Washington’s auditorium, the governor addressed students in the school’s free Summer Achievers program, which combines academics and fun activities.

“We are all here,” Shapiro said, “because you matter and because you can grow up to be anything you want to be. And we believe in you. And we’re here to help and support you along that way.”

Shapiro and state lawmakers reached a budget agreement over the weekend that includes $157.3 million in additional funding for the School District of Philadelphia. The state’s annual contribution to the district has increased 45% — or $692 million — since Shapiro took office in 2023, according to his administration. 

“When people say, ‘Does extra money make a difference?’” Superintendent Tony Watlington Sr. said. “Yes, when it’s invested right.”

Much of the increase is coming in the form of so-called “adequacy” dollars, which are based on a formula developed after a 2023 court ruling deemed Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional.

This year’s spending plan allocates an additional $565 million in adequacy and tax equity funding across the state, with smaller increases in basic education ($58 million) and special education ($55 million) funding.

Public education advocates who were involved in the landmark court decision say Harrisburg may not be moving fast enough to close the gap between richer and poorer districts. Some school systems are being forced to use the adequacy money just to keep up with rising costs, instead of offering more, according to the Public Interest Law Center and Education Law Center-PA.

“The warning signs are clear,” Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, senior attorney at PILC, said in a statement. “To provide children the education the constitution demands, we need more teachers and more programs. Despite that, many underfunded schools stayed level this year, while others made cuts. Nothing can make plainer that we need to accelerate the pace of the Commonwealth’s plan for compliance.”

Shapiro, a Democrat, noted that he is in the difficult position of dealing with a divided government. The GOP holds a majority of the seats in the Pennsylvania Senate, while his party controls the House.

“Look, we’ve got a lot more work to do, but we met the challenge. We’re investing in our schools,” he added. “We have all been clear that we would not get up from the table in Harrisburg until we fully funded public education, and we’ve done that four straight years.”

Shapiro and the elected leaders who joined him at Vare-Washington also highlighted a $10 million increase to a fund used to provide stipends to student teachers.

In addition, the budget provides dollars to continue a statewide free breakfast initiative and requires schools to institute at least 30 minutes of recess daily for students in kindergarten through fifth grade, officials said. 

MORE: Philadelphia summer meals program aims to serve 1 million free meals

Keywords

Josh Shapiro,

Pennsylvania budget,

Pennsylvania education,

School District of Philadelphia,

Philadelphia schools,

South Philadelphia,

Tony Watlington,

Education funding