APRIL 3, 2012 | Commentary by ELIZABETH STELLE

Education Spending: The Rest of the Story

Since Gov. Corbett's budget proposal, those who profit from Pennsylvania's $26 billion a year public school system have been gnashing teeth over what they claim is an "underfunding" of the public schools. This misinformation campaign builds on the faulty premises that education spending in Pennsylvania has been cut to the bone and more money wil

FEBRUARY 29, 2012 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Pennsylvania K-12 Education Spending

Pennsylvania's K-12 education revenue increased from $13 billion in 1995-96 to $26 billion in 2009-10. Adjusted for inflation, that represents a 44% increase in revenue per student.  

DECEMBER 13, 2011 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Charter School Reform

Pennsylvania charter school enrollment grew from 982 students in 1997 to 91,000 in 2010, as more parents exercised choice in their children's education. On average, charter schools receive and spend only about 83 percent of what school districts spend for each student. Allowing alternative charter school authorizers would increase opportunities

OCTOBER 10, 2011 | Policy Points by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Charter School Funding in Pennsylvania

Many school districts and other advocates complain about the charter school funding mechanism, arguing that it "drains funding" from school districts.  This charge must be considered in the context of charter school funding.

AUGUST 17, 2011 | Policy Brief by ANDREW LEFEVRE

A Decade of Success: Pennsylvania's Educational Improvement Tax Credit

The EITC creates partnerships between parents, businesses, and scholarship organizations. These partnerships allow funding to follow students, giving children and their families choices of schools that best fit their needs. The success of the EITC program is demonstrated not just in the millions it has saved taxpayers and relief to high-gro

JUNE 23, 2011 | Commentary by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Give Voters a Say on School Taxes

Five years ago, state lawmakers passed Act 1 to provide property tax relief and give voters a voice on school tax increases.  But since slot machine gambling was introduced in Pennsylvania, school property taxes have grown by almost $700 per homeowner.  And yet 98 percent of school districts have avoided voter referendum on tax hikes.&

MAY 17, 2011 | Commentary by THOMAS GENTZEL, MATTHEW BROUILLETTE

Saving Our School Boards

Schools must be able to furlough teachers based on a broad-based assessment of student needs, not a last-in/first-out requirement that ignores teachers' classroom performance, ability to connect with students, grasp of subject matter knowledge and innovative educational practice or years of experience teaching in an area in which they ar

MAY 2, 2011 | Testimony by NATHAN BENEFIELD

Property Taxpayer Referendum

Testimony of Nathan A. Benefield to the Pennsylvania House Finance Committee

House Bills 1326 and 1383 take an important step giving voters more control over school taxes, by eliminating the referendum loopholes allowed under Act 1.  Combined with mandate relief legislation to give school boards more flexibility in spending, these bills will help control the growth in school spending and property taxes.

APRIL 12, 2011 | News Release by COMMONWEALTH FOUNDATION

Millions Funneled to Lobbyists by Public Schools

CF uncovers more than $59 million being used against taxpayers' and children's interests

The Commonwealth Foundation announced today preliminary results from extensive Open Records Requests that found more than $59 million dollars of taxpayer money is being funneled through taxpayer-funded public school districts directly to organizations frequently involved in lobbying against the interests of taxpayers and underserved children

APRIL 5, 2011 | Compilation by ANTONY DAVIES, LAURA VICINIE, JONATHAN SCOTT, KAIT WOLF, LAUREN MONDSCHEIN, DEVIN BOWEN, NATHAN BENEFIELD

Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania

A Compilation

Public Policy and Free Enterprise in Pennsylvania represents a partnership with the Commonwealth Foundation and the department of economics at Duquesne University.  Key findings in these five papers include Over the past sixty years, increases in union membership rates correlate with slower growth in real per