Saturday, June 20, 2015

PA Ed Policy Roundup June 20: Some weekend reading: PA Basic Ed Funding Commission has published its 105-page final report

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Keystone State Education Coalition
PA Ed Policy Roundup for June 20, 2015:
Some weekend reading: PA Basic Ed Funding Commission has published its 105-page final report


Thanks to Senator Pat Browne, Rep. Mike Vereb and all of the members (see page 8 of the report) who served on the Basic Education Funding Commission for your good work.  Thanks to Rep. Bernie O'Neill for sponsoring HB1738 which created the Commission.
Some weekend reading: PA Basic Ed Funding Commission has published its 105-page final report
Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children tweet June 19, 2015 ‏@PAP4Children
Read the report here: http://bit.ly/1Cifxfm 

"Federal statistics show that Pennsylvania has the nation's largest spending gap between rich and poor school districts. An Associated Press analysis found that the gap between what wealthier districts and poorer districts spend to educate children had widened dramatically in the last four years."
PennLive Editorial: Education Funding Commission's report an important first step for Pa. students
By PennLive Editorial Board Email the author on June 19, 2015 at 3:07 PM
What's this?  A show of bipartisan support wedged in between battles over a State Police commissioner, the Office of Open Records and the looming budget deadline?   Believe it.
The Basic Education Funding Commission took at step that might actually have an impact on the mess that is public school funding in Pennsylvania.  On Thursday, the panel unanimously approved a formula that would actually take poverty levels, a district's charter school costs, geographic size, tax base and its current enrollment into account when doling out dollars.  Imagine that – those are the things that actually matter when money is provided to districts. How much are we talking? Pennsylvania distributed $5.5 billion in basic education aid this year.  While there are already plenty of budget challenges this year, the formula must be discussed as part of the upcoming budget. Waiting to implement it will weaken the political will to get it done.  The commission has 15 members. There are 12 lawmakers split between Democrats and Republicans and three senior aides to Gov. Tom Wolf.  Wolf was on hand for a Thursday news conference where he praised the plan, so there is no doubt he is on board. We hope House and Senate members feel the same.

New school funding formula a big step forward for Pa. students: Rob Teplitz
PennLive Op-Ed  By Rob Teplitz on June 19, 2015 at 1:00 PM
State Sen. Rob Teplitz, a Democrat, represents the 15th Senate District, which includes parts of Dauphin and all of Perry County. He is a member of the Basic Education Funding Commission, Senate Education Committee, and Senate Appropriations Committee.
While much recent news from the Capitol has been controversial, I am pleased to report that on Thursday the Basic Education Funding Commission unanimously recommended that the General Assembly adopt a new formula for distributing state education funding among Pennsylvania's 500 school districts.  As a strong proponent of public education and a member of both the Senate Education and Appropriations committees, I was honored to be appointed to the commission, which was created by Act 51 of 2014. It was a privilege to serve with the 14 other members from the General Assembly and the administration.  Over the past year, we held 15 hearings across the commonwealth in order to hear from experts about the current broken funding system and how to fix it.  For the past few months, I was part of a work group tasked with studying the impact of a district's local tax base in particular.  Finally, as we headed to the finish line over the past two weeks, I was in the core group that hammered out the final agreement on the formula.

The governor first wants to see the state make "significant restorations" in 2015-16 of the nearly $1 billion cut from school districts four years ago, said his spokesman Jeff Sheridan. Wolf is proposing the state boost basic education funding by $400 million next year. Republican lawmakers say they favor more money for schools but haven't specified an amount they would support.   Waiting gives school districts a chance to recover some of the ground lost and provide "a fair foundation upon which this new formula can be built," starting in the 2016-17 budget, said Wolf's Budget Secretary Randy Albright.
New school funding formula on the move but when will it take effect?
By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com  Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 19, 2015 at 6:57 PM, updated June 19, 2015 at 8:43 PM
overhaul of the way Pennsylvania funds its 500 school districts could begin to move in the state House and Senate as soon as next week.  And, while Republican and Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Tom Wolf seem to embrace the recommended funding formula approved on Thursday by the Basic Education Funding Commission, the GOP and Wolf disagree on one thing: when to start using it.  The GOP chairmen of the House and Senate education committees want to see at least a portion of any new money put into education in next year's state budget be driven out through the commission's recommended formula.  Wolf prefers to wait a year.

At a glance: What the proposed school funding formula looks like
Penn Live By Jan Murphy | jmurphy@pennlive.com Email the author | Follow on Twitter on June 19, 2015 at 2:07 PM, updated June 19, 2015 at 2:08 PM
A proposed school funding formula that attempts to make state funding that goes out to the 500 school districts fairer and more equitable was unveiled on Thursday.  It comes out of a year's worth of work by the bi-partisan Basic Education Funding Commission, and attempts to rid Pennsylvania of being the state with the widest gap in per-student funding between rich and poor districts.  Now it is up to the General Assembly and Gov. Tom Wolf to decide whether and when to move forward with the commission's recommendation.  The commission's recommended formula for doling out state education dollars calls for: 

Phila., poor districts winners in new Pa. school plan
LAURA MCCRYSTAL, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER LAST UPDATED: Saturday, June 20, 2015, 1:07 AM POSTED: Friday, June 19, 2015, 8:32 PM
School districts that serve Philadelphia and some of the region's poorer communities, such as Pottstown, Norristown, and Chester, would see major gains in state funding if Pennsylvania enacts a proposed education-funding formula. The formula would add an estimated $75 million to the Philadelphia School District budget - far less than the $200 million it is seeking - if it were applied to the 2015-16 school year under Gov. Wolf's proposed $30 billion budget.  The Chester Upland School District would gain $5.4 million under the plan, unveiled Thursday and detailed Friday by the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission.  Wealthier districts would be in line for far less of a windfall. For example, the New Hope-Solebury district would get only an additional $88,238 based on the formula, which gives additional weight to factors such as poverty, non-English-speaking students, and charter payments.  The new formula is proposed to go into effect in the 2016-17 school year. But the plan will require legislative approval, and the discussion will be tied to the fate of Wolf's proposed budget, with its controversial call for a tax on natural gas drilling. A budget must be enacted by June 30.

Pa. education funding report includes changes to fix disparities
Trib Live By Brad Bumsted and Tory Parrish Thursday, June 18, 2015, 9:57 a.m.
HARRISBURG — A bipartisan state commission's proposed formula for funding the education of Pennsylvania's 1.7 million public school students was made public Thursday and got high marks from some poor urban school districts.  But some suburban districts gave the plan to reduce large disparities between wealthy and poor districts an “incomplete” grade.  “I'm very, very ... happy with this. They've hit on exactly the right points,” said Woodland Hills School District Superintendent Alan Johnson, whose district of 4,000 students has enough low-income families that every student qualifies for free or reduced-price lunches.  The proposed formula takes districts' poverty rates into account and differentiates between types of poverty.
Faith leaders to protest for more school funding at Pa. Capitol
By Madison Russ | PennLive.com on June 19, 2015 at 12:38 PM
On Saturday, various religions and individuals from across the state plan to gather on the state Capitol steps to protest for fair funding for public schools in what is being billed as the largest interfaith gathering in Pennsylvania history.  The main interfaith ceremony will be held at 2 p.m. where faith leaders will bless the individuals planning to fast and who will remain at an encampment on the Capitol steps for 10 days.   Prior to the main event a Shabbat service will be held at 10:30 a.m. and a Teach-In will take place at Grace United Methodist Church at 12:00 p.m.  Over 500 people are expected to come from Philadelphia, the Lehigh Valley, suburban Philadelphia, Pittsburg and rural areas of the state, said Margaret Ernst of Philadelphians Organize to Witness, Empower, and Rebuild (POWER).

"Starting on June 20th, people of faith from across the state will be fasting and praying for ten days straight or however long it takes for lawmakers to pass a moral budget. On June 20th, hundreds of Pennsylvanians will gather to bless this fast and prepare ourselves for the battle for justice ahead."
GET TO HARRISBURG ON JUNE 20TH.
In the largest interfaith service in Pennsylvania's history, people of faith from across the state will gather to takeover our State Capitol to demand a moral budget that fully funds public schools.
FaithInPA website
After Pennsylvania voters gave a clear mandate to lawmakers to fund public schools in November's election, Harrisburg still isn't listening.   PA has the most unequally funded public schools in the United States, including a racial bias towards districts with more white students.  Across the state, in rural, suburban, urban, black, brown and white communities alike, our school districts have been underfunded for decades and our kids can't wait any longer for a 21st century education.   Governor Wolf has proposed an increase to public education funding that is still a fraction - 15% - of what would fully fund schools. The House of Representatives has proposed a budget with no new money for schools at all. Meanwhile, both want cuts in taxes for corporations. Clearly, we don't have a financial crisis in Pennsylvania - we have a moral one.   If our lawmakers won't do the right thing and listen to Pennsylvanians' real pain and experiences, we have not other choice but to go right to their doorstep and bring our values to them.
http://www.faithinpa.org/moraltakeover.html

Letter to the editor: Gov. Wolf’s proposed budget is an investment in education
Delco Times Opinion By Stephen Herzenberg, Times Guest Columnist 06/15/15, 11:29 PM EDT
As a research economist, whenever someone wants me to support an issue, I generally say the same thing: “Show me the numbers.”  The numbers on why Gov. Wolf’s proposed budget makes sense for Delaware County are stunning. After four years of deep cuts, the governor’s budget re-invests in education — a consensus bipartisan priority of voters and lawmakers in Delaware County.  Of course, not everybody wants the turnaround budget that our communities need. Natural-gas drillers, for example, are spending millions of dollars on TV ads. They want to keep Pennsylvania as the only state without a commonsense extraction tax. Their message is basically “we want to protect our sweetheart deal.”  Instead, Gov. Wolf is proposing to invest that money into education. Delaware County would see $17.4 million more for its public K-12 schools, 532 more kids in preschool, and more funding for Delaware County Community College, Cheyney University, and Penn State-Brandywine.

Wilmington board asks for school pension reform
By Mary Grzebieniak New Castle News Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 7:15 am
Local school districts are facing staggering increases in employee pension costs over the next five years.   And the Wilmington Area School Board is asking the state do do something about it.   Members passed a resolution Monday asking the state legislature to find another source to fund the shortage in the state pension fund. They say forcing school districts to increase their contribution to solve the problem is taking money away that could be using to educate students.  It is also forcing taxpayers to shoulder higher burdens, the resolution states. 

State must investigate hundreds of complaints filed by Philly school parents
the notebook By David Limm on Jun 19, 2015 05:11 PM
Commonwealth Court has ruled that the state must investigate hundreds of complaints about inadequate conditions in Philadelphia District schools that opened and operated under a "doomsday budget" adopted in 2013.  The ruling involved a suit filed by the Public Interest Law Center of Philadelphia on behalf of seven parents and Parents United for Public Education against Pennsylvania's former acting education secretary, Carolyn Dumaresq. The plaintiffs argued the state failed in its duty to consider and investigate "curriculum deficiencies" after massive budget reductions that cut Philadelphia schools to the bone.  Through the website myphillyschools.com, 825 complaints were filed alleging an array of issues: overcrowded classrooms, a lack of art, music, foreign languages, and physical education in the curriculum, shortages in staffing (including teachers, guidance counselors, librarians, administrators, and aides), and unsafe or unsanitary conditions.

Pottsgrove adopts $63.9M budget that raises taxes by .55%
By Evan Brandt, The Mercury POSTED: 06/17/15, 8:13 PM EDT | UPDATED: 1 DAY AGO
LOWER POTTSGROVE >> The Pottsgrove School Board stopped short of adopting a budget that does not raise property taxes in the coming fiscal year, opting instead, after some sharp words, for a $63.9 million that raises taxes by .55 percent.  For a home assessed at $120,000, the district median, the budget would raise the annual tax bill by $24, said business manager David Nester.  Board member Rick Rabinowitz continued to advocate for a budget that does not raise taxes, saying a number of factors now in flux make it likely that it was the district’s only chance in recent years to provide that relief to the district’s taxpayers.  Those factors include state level changes, such as the pending release of a fair funding formula; property tax relief bills and Gov. Tom Wolf’s budget priorities, which include nearly $1 million in addition state funding for Pottsgrove.

Taxes to rise 1.5 percent in Interboro
Delco Times By Courtney Elko, Times Correspondent POSTED: 06/19/15, 10:09 PM EDT | UPDATED: 12 SECS AGO
The Interboro School Board approved the final 2015-16 school budget at Wednesday’s meeting and residents will see a property tax increase.  The board passed the budget 8-1, with board member Phyllis Floyd voting against it.  Residents will see an increase of .5015 mills with the approved $62.6 million budget, resulting in a 1.5 percent tax increase for a new millage rate of 33.9362 mills.  Residents with an average assessed home of $90,000 will see an increase of about $45, Interboro Superintendent Bernadette Reiley said during the budget presentation.

Chichester School Board holds the line on taxes
Delco Times By Tina DiSerafino, Times Correspondent POSTED: 06/19/15, 10:07 PM EDT
UPPER CHICHESTER >> There was not much to discuss when it came to the Chichester School Board voting on a no new tax budget for the upcoming year. The board voted 7-0 to pass the budget, which totaled at $70,778,443 and will hold the millage rate at 39.0708.  The zero percent increase will remain the same for the average median home value of $72,843.  Although the Chichester School Board Finance Committee has worked to keep tax increases at 1 percent over the past couple years, Treasurer William Taylor and members stressed that the goal for the 2015-2016 year was to give some relief to taxpayers while not having to cut any school programs.  “We are balancing things between our taxpayers and our kids. We do not want to cheat either one of them and we have not touched any school programs during this year,” said Taylor.  One challenge that was faced with holding the line on taxes was balancing out increases seen from the Pennsylvania State Employees’ Retirement ystem. PSERs expenses increased 21 percent, going from 21.40 to 25.84 percent.

Hermitage school board adopts budget with no tax hike
Sharon Herald Posted 2 days ago
HERMITAGE – Hermitage School Board approved a $30.5 million budget Wednesday that keeps property taxes at 60.239 mils.  A mill is $1 for every $1,000 in assessed property value, with those   values based on 1970 market value.  The budget cuts one staff position, an instructional coach slot that will be eliminated through attrition.  The pact was approved without a firm commitment from the state as to the district’s subsidy – the state budget has not been approved – or a teacher’s contract in place.  While the board has no control over what the governor and General Assembly do, contract talks “are still progressing very well,” said Superintendent Dr. Daniel Bell.
Bell said he believes an agreement will be ready for school board action in August.

Baldwin-Whitehall School Board approves budget containing tax hike
TribLive By Alex Felser Staff Reporter  Wednesday, June 17, 2015, 10:18 p.m.
The Baldwin-Whitehall School Board voted to approve a 2015-16 budget with a real estate tax increase of 0.81 mills on Wednesday.  School board members voted 5-4 to approve the $61.3 million budget that included a $1.9 million deficit. Officials expect $59.4 million in revenues.  The increase takes the tax rate to 18.42 mills. Last year, the board approved a 2-mill decrease in the tax rate, bringing it down to 17.61 mills.  One mill in Baldwin-Whitehall brings in about $1.8 million in tax revenue.

"The (PSERS) contribution is calculated as a percentage of a participating employees wages. This year the cost was 21.40 percent. In the 2015-16 school year, the contribution will rise to 25.84 percent and then increase each year until 2019-20 when the percentage will be 32.23."
Wilmington backs off large tax increase, approves smaller one
By Mary Grzebieniak New Castle News Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 4:00 am
Taxpayers in the Wilmington Area School District got a reprieve Monday.  School directors voted to increase taxes by 2.5 percent for the coming school year instead of the 8.1 percent the state had allowed.  The owner of a $100,000 home in the district will pay $35 more annually under the new rate which is effective July 1.  But Board President Bo DiMuccio warned that future budget picture is bleak because the state has put a staggering burden on local districts to pay off Public School Employees Retirement System obligations by raising the schools’ contributions. In Wilmington, the 2015-16 payment will be $2,035,465, rising annually until 2019-20 when it will be $2,841,543.  The contribution is calculated as a percentage of a participating employees wages. This year the cost was 21.40 percent. In the 2015-16 school year, the contribution will rise to 25.84 percent and then increase each year until 2019-20 when the percentage will be 32.23.

"The district will use $322,310 from its fund balance to cover the budget deficit. This will leave $3,469,988 in the fund balance, Schreck said."
Shenango adopts budget with no tax increase
By John K. Manna New Castle News Posted: Wednesday, June 17, 2015 4:30 am
The Shenango school board has adopted a $17 million budget for the 2015-16 school year.
The $17,045,751 spending plan, adopted by a unanimous vote of the board’s nine members on Monday, represents an increase of $597,983 over the current year’s budget.  It requires no increase in taxes. The property tax is currently 12.36 mills.  Payment to the state’s Public Employees Retirement System and health insurance costs account for the bulk of the spending increase, according to Superintendent Dr. Michael Schreck.  The district’s pension cost will be $2,175,220, an increase of $427,375 over the current year. If the district receives the same state reimbursement as last year, the cost would be $1,918,795.  Insurance costs, covering medical, dental and vision for employees, will be $1,879,210, an increase of $229,793.

"To cover the budget deficit, the district will use approximately $2.9 million from its fund balance. The fund balance currently has $7.7 million, she said."
Laurel adopts budget with no tax increase
By John K. Manna New Castle News Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2015 4:45 am
The Laurel school board has adopted a $19.1 million budget for the 2015-16 school year.  The $19,138,710 spending plan, representing an increase of $1,289,124 over the current year's budget, does not call for a tax increase. The property tax is currently 12.49 mills.  The budget was approved by a 6-3 vote on Tuesday. Voting in favor were Timothy Redfoot, Christopher Donegan, Justin Kirkwood, Kevin Patterson, Stephen Sickafuse and Earl Williams. Opposing were Blaine Forbes, Jeff Hammerschmidt and Lance Nimmo.  Salaries and benefits are the primary reasons for the spending increase, according to business manager Mary Kosek

Illinois group linked to Kenney attack ads (and Gulen charters)
Philly.com by RYAN BRIGGS, THE NEXT MAYOR POSTED: Friday, June 19, 2015, 12:50 PM
A dark money group that pumped nearly $100,000 into the Philadelphia mayoral primary in the waning days of the race last month appears to be tied to an obscure educational consulting company based in Peoria, Ill, according to a Federal Communications Commission document.
The head of that consulting group helped found a Peoria charter school that was raided by the FBI last year due to alleged ties to Turkey’s mysterious “Gülenist” political movement.  A non-profit called Leadership Matters, Inc. spent $93,000 on last minute political attack ads targeting Jim Kenney, who eventually won the Democratic primary May 19.  Leadership Matters used a Washington, D.C. political consultant as a go-between to obscure the identity of individuals behind the anti-Kenney group. But the non-profit apparently filed a political disclosure form with local Fox affiliate WTXF (Fox 29) in May, naming four board members.  The individuals listed on that document, Cynthia Fischer, Cheryl Sanfilip, Timothy Ryon and Thomas Simpson, also form a Peoria-based educational consulting company that has an identical name as the political group.

English Class in Common Core Era: ‘Tom Sawyer’ and Court Opinions
New York Times By KATE TAYLOR JUNE 19, 2015
In Harrison, N.Y., 10th graders read articlesabout bipolar disorder and the adolescent brain to help them analyze Holden Caulfield. In Springdale, Ark., ninth graders studying excerpts from “The Odyssey” also read sections of the G.I. Bill of Rights, and a congressional resolution on its 60th anniversary, to connect the story of Odysseus to the challenges of modern-day veterans. After eighth graders in Naples, Fla., read how Tom Sawyer duped other boys into whitewashing a fence for him, they follow it with an op-ed article on teenage unemployment.  In the Common Core era, English class looks a little different.  The Common Core standards, which have been adopted by more than 40 states, mandated many changes to traditional teaching, but one of the most basic was a call for students to read more nonfiction. The rationale is that most of what students will be expected to read in college and at work will be informational, rather than literary, and that American students have not been well prepared to read those texts.

When Charters Go Union
Most charter school funders hate unions and unions generally hate charters. But more and more charter teachers want to unionize, and labor is helping them do it. 
American Prospect by Rachel M. Cohen
This is a sneak peek at an article set to run in the upcoming Summer 2015 issue. 
The April sun had not yet risen in Los Angeles when teachers from the city’s largest charter network—the Alliance College-Ready Public Schools—gathered outside for a press conference to discuss their new union drive. Joined by local labor leaders, politicians, student alumni, and parents, the importance of the educators’ effort was not lost on the crowd. If teachers were to prevail in winning collective bargaining rights at Alliance’s 26 schools, the audience recognized, then L.A.’s education reform landscape would fundamentally change. For years, after all, many of the most powerful charter backers had proclaimed that the key to helping students succeed was union-free schools.  One month earlier, nearly 70 Alliance teachers and counselors had sent a letter to the administration announcing their intent to join United Teachers of Los Angeles (UTLA), the local teachers union that represents the 35,000 educators who work in L.A.’s public schools. The letter asked Alliance for a “fair and neutral process”—one that would allow teachers to organize without fear of retaliation. The administration offered no such reassurance. Indeed, April’s press conference was called to highlight a newly discovered internal memo circulating among Alliance administrators that offered tips on how to best discourage staff from forming a union. It also made clear that Alliance would oppose any union, not just UTLA. “To continue providing what is best for our schools and our students, the goal is no unionization, not which union,” the memo said.


Come to Harrisburg on June 23rd for an All for Education Day Rally!
Education Voters PA website June 1, 2015
On June 23 at the Capitol in Harrisburg, Education Voters will be joining together with more than 50 organizations to send a clear message to state lawmakers that we expect them to fund our schools in this year’s budget. Click HERE for more information and to register for the June 23 All for Education Day in Harrisburg.  Join us as we speak up for the importance of funding our schools fairly and at sufficient levels, so that every student in PA has an opportunity to learn.  Community, parent, education advocacy, faith, and labor organizations will join together with school, municipal, and community officials to hold a press conference and rally at 12:00 in the main rotunda and to make arrangements to meet with legislators before and after the rally.  We must send a strong message to state lawmakers that we are watching them and expect them to pass a state budget that will fund our schools this year. Please come to Harrisburg on June 23 to show broad support for a fair budget for education this year.

Register Now – PAESSP State Conference – Oct. 18-20 – State College, PA
Registration is now open for PAESSP's State Conference to be held October 18-20 at The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel in State College, PA! This year's theme is @EVERYLEADER and features three nationally-known keynote speakers (Dr. James Stronge, Justin Baeder and Dr. Mike Schmoker), professional breakout sessions, a legal update, exhibits, Tech Learning Labs and many opportunities to network with your colleagues (Monday evening event with Jay Paterno).  Once again, in conjunction with its conference, PAESSP will offer two 30-hour Act 45 PIL-approved programs, Linking Student Learning to Teacher Supervision and Evaluation (pre-conference offering on 10/17/15); and Improving Student Learning Through Research-Based Practices: The Power of an Effective Principal (held during the conference, 10/18/15 -10/20/15). Register for either or both PIL programs when you register for the Full Conference!
REGISTER TODAY for the Conference and Act 45 PIL program/s at:

Apply now for EPLC’s 2015-2016 PA Education Policy Fellowship Program
Applications are available now for the 2015-2016 Education Policy Fellowship Program (EPFP).  The Education Policy Fellowship Program is sponsored in Pennsylvania by The Education Policy and Leadership Center (EPLC).  With more than 400 graduates in its first sixteen years, this Program is a premier professional development opportunity for educators, state and local policymakers, advocates, and community leaders.  State Board of Accountancy (SBA) credits are available to certified public accountants.  Past participants include state policymakers, district superintendents and principals, charter school leaders, school business officers, school board members, education deans/chairs, statewide association leaders, parent leaders, education advocates, and other education and community leaders.  Fellows are typically sponsored by their employer or another organization.  The Fellowship Program begins with a two-day retreat on September 17-18, 2015 and continues to graduation in June 2016.
Click here to read about the Education Policy Fellowship Program.

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Campaign for Fair Education Funding website
Our goal is to ensure that every student has access to a quality education no matter where they live. To make that happen, we need to fundamentally change how public schools are funded. The current system is not fair to students or taxpayers and our campaign partners – more than 50 organizations from across Pennsylvania - agree that it has to be changed now. Student performance is stagnating. School districts are in crisis. Lawmakers have the ability to change this formula but they need to hear from you. You can make a difference »

COMMUNITY MEETING: PUBLIC SCHOOL FUNDING IN BERKS COUNTY
Berks County IU June 23, 7:00 - 8:30 pm
Date:  Tuesday, June 23, 2015  Time:7:00 – 8:30 p.m. | Registration begins at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Berks County Intermediate Unit, 1111 Commons Boulevard, Reading, PA 19605
Local school district leaders will discuss how state funding issues are impacting our children’s education opportunities, our local taxes, and our communities. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and learn how you can support fair and adequate state funding for public schools in Berks County.  State lawmakers who represent Berks County have been invited to attend to learn about challenges facing area schools.

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