State representative says ‘major reform’ coming to public education
JACKSON TWP — A state legislator representing the county told a gathering of business leaders Friday, May 5, 2023, that “major reform” is coming within the next few years to public education funding.
State Rep. Tim Bonner, R-8th, and other legislators who represent the county, discussed education and other topics at the Butler County Chamber of Commerce’s “State of the Commonwealth” legislative breakfast at the Steamfitters event center.
“Major reform is coming,” Bonner said, as a result of a recent Commonwealth Court ruling that found the state’s school funding system to be unconstitutional.
A judge issued the ruling in February in a lawsuit filed nine years ago by several school districts in northeastern and central Pennsylvania challenging the funding system. Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer ruled that some schools are so underfunded it violates students’ constitutional rights.
Bonner said Gov. Josh Shapiro has formed a task force to investigate the issue and is expected to issue a report on its findings in February 2024. Changes will be implemented in the following year or two, he said.
Pennsylvania spends $20,000 per student per year and ranks among the top 10 states in that category and in teacher salaries, Bonner said.
