Students cheer on their classmates in a limbo competition during Games and Field Day in May at Mars Area Middle School in Adams Township. Joseph Ressler/Butler Eagle

An significant increase in funding for schools in the 2022-23 state budget comes as a welcome relief for Butler County school districts hit by inflation.

Approved by Governor Tom Wolf on July 8, the Pennsylvania state budget, which allocates a total of upwards of $7.6 billion for the Basic Education Funding category and $225 million to supplement school districts with a higher at-risk student population, ended up with a more than $767 million — or 10.83% — increase over the 2021-22 funds allocated to schools. The increase to the Basic Education Funding category alone amounts to more than $542 million, or 7.66%.

An additional $1.3 billion is allocated for special education, which amounts to an 8.1% increase over the 2021-22 state budget for the category.

Debbie Brandstetter, business manager at Mars Area School District, said she had anticipated some of the funding increases while planning the Mars Area budget for 2022-23.

“I already had most of (the special education funding) in my budget, because I budgeted a 2% increase,” she said. “Last year was 2%, and they had said there would be increased funding.”

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