In Education Debate, Let’s Fund Students not Districts

For Immediate Release
Commonwealth Foundation
Contact: 717-671-1901

In Education Debate, Let’s Fund Students not Districts

Current System Favors Shrinking Districts at Growing Districts' Expense

December 4, 2014, HARRISBURG, Pa.—In the ongoing state education funding debate, a common refrain is that more money will solve all problems. But Pennsylvania already spends $14,600 in total funding per student—nearly $3,000 more than the national average. How can even more money be the answer?

It isn’t. There’s a smarter solution: Assigning funds based on the needs of individual students—no matter their ZIP code—promises to fix the current system’s flaws without breaking the bank. This approach is known as weighted student funding (WSF).

Today, at the state Basic Education Funding Reform Commission’s hearing in East Stroudsburg, Nathan Benefield, vice president of policy analysis for the Commonwealth Foundation, will offer testimony that points to a severe flaw in the current funding system—the misnamed “hold harmless” provision—and highlights WSF as an alternative.

“‘Hold harmless,’ which guarantees that a district receives no fewer state dollars than it did the previous year regardless of enrollment changes, has been remarkably unfair to growing school districts across the state,” Benefield commented. “The problem is now so severe that districts with declining enrollment receive more than three times the state funding per student than growing districts.”

Indeed, Commonwealth Foundation research shows that state aid per student in the 20 fastest-growing districts since 1996 was just over $3,000 in 2012-13. For the 20 fastest-shrinking districts, state aid per student was nearly $10,000.

20 Fastest Growing PA Districts 1996-2013

District

County

Growth

2013 State
Revenue Per Student

Garnet Valley

Delaware

119%

$2,877.47

Perkiomen Valley

Montgomery

89%

$2,826.65

South Fayette Township

Allegheny

86%

$2,698.31

Spring-Ford Area

Montgomery

83%

$2,764.82

Pine-Richland

Allegheny

74%

$2,686.28

New Hope-Solebury

Bucks

61%

$2,777.26

Central York

York

60%

$2,555.85

Oxford Area

Chester

56%

$4,538.11

Avon Grove

Chester

53%

$4,340.74

Daniel Boone Area

Berks

53%

$4,282.96

Mars Area

Butler

52%

$3,217.76

Lower Moreland Twn

Montgomery

48%

$2,888.73

Kennett Consolidated

Chester

47%

$2,842.80

Jim Thorpe Area

Carbon

45%

$2,885.29

Central Bucks

Bucks

45%

$2,401.97

Tredyffrin-Easttown

Chester

44%

$2,211.83

Owen J Roberts

Chester

41%

$3,120.39

Peters Township

Washington

40%

$2,608.30

Wilson

Berks

39%

$2,784.51

Northeastern York

York

38%

$4,602.52

Average Top 20

 

59%

$3,095.63

 

20 Fastest Shrinking PA Districts 1996-2013

District

County

Growth

2013 State
Revenue Per Student

McGuffey

Washington

-30%

$7,979.42

Sullivan County

Sullivan

-30%

$6,208.08

Southeastern Greene

Greene

-31%

$11,399.85

Warren County

Warren

-31%

$7,881.19

Jeannette City

Westmoreland

-32%

$9,242.87

Ligonier Valley

Westmoreland

-32%

$5,611.11

Susquehanna Community

Susquehanna

-32%

$10,778.41

Union

Clarion

-32%

$11,529.47

Punxsutawney Area

Jefferson

-32%

$9,524.06

Austin Area

Potter

-32%

$11,885.68

Galeton Area

Potter

-33%

$7,903.20

Cranberry Area

Venango

-33%

$8,525.50

Farrell Area

Mercer

-33%

$12,197.76

Marion Center Area

Indiana

-34%

$10,288.15

Northern Potter

Potter

-35%

$10,904.21

Allegheny-Clarion Valley

Clarion

-35%

$11,479.26

Purchase Line

Indiana

-35%

$12,383.83

Johnsonburg Area

Elk

-36%

$11,175.29

Salisbury-Elk Lick

Somerset

-39%

$9,555.59

Cameron County

Cameron

-39%

$10,600.96

Average Bottom 20

 

-33%

$9,852.69

In contrast, the WSF approach is far more flexible to changes in student enrollment.

Benefield continued:

“State funds should follow the student, not be locked into a district. Weighted student funding provides a baseline per-pupil amount to all students, which would be increased for individual students based on their learning needs. For example, low-income students, English-language learners, those changing school districts, and other criteria could be used to allocate funding where it’s needed most. 

“Ultimately, transitioning away from ‘hold harmless’ and instituting weighted student funding—as states like Rhode Island and Hawaii have done to great success—would correct much of the inequality inherent in the current system, better serve students’ unique needs, and avoid asking taxpayers for more money.”

Nathan Benefield and other Commonwealth Foundation experts are available for comment. Please contact us at 717-671-1901 to schedule an interview.

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For more information, please contact our director of media relations for the Commonwealth Foundation at 717-671-1901 or [email protected].

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