In light of the General Assembly’s obligation under a 2023 Commonwealth Court ruling to develop a new system for distributing state money to school districts, this Closer Look uses relevant data to illustrate the inequitable nature of funding in the commonwealth and emphasizes the need for a greater investment from the state in order to make significant improvements to the educational programs in all school districts. It also contains recommendations for a new funding system and calls for the need to address other critical issues impacting districts and students, such as student mental health, school safety and security, and school infrastructure.