STATEMENT: PSBA pleased that education, school safety remains a priority in state budget
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA) is pleased that the 2018-19 state budget adopted by the General Assembly this afternoon contains increases for education and school safety.
The spending plan retains Gov. Wolf’s original request of $100 million for the basic education subsidy and increase of about 1.7 percent from the current year. It also contains $20 million more for pre-K programs, a $15 million increase for special education, and an additional $30 million for career and technical education.
“PSBA and school districts statewide thank the General Assembly for their efforts to produce this timely budget that prioritizes education, and we encourage Governor Wolf to sign it,” said PSBA Chief Executive Officer Nathan G. Mains. “Investing in the success of our students is key to the health of our commonwealth.”
The bill also includes $60 million to fund school safety initiatives, and increases funding for school safety grants to $10 million. In the light of several recent violent incidents at schools in other states, Pennsylvania schools are also evaluating efforts to maintain the safety of students and staff.
“We commend the increase in grant funds that allow school districts to choose safety and security measures that are best for their schools,” Mains said. “Realizing that there is no one-size-fits-all solution for school safety, we appreciate that these much-needed additional funds allow these decisions to be made at the local level.”
PSBA looks forward to working with the General Assembly on issues affecting public education in the future.
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