Proposed plan in Pennsylvania would shift education funding toward controversial voucher program

PITTSBURGH — The deadline for the state to have its 2024 budget in place is June 30, and this year, the hot-button issue surrounds education.

In March of this year, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro charged lawmakers to come up with a plan to make big changes after a Commonwealth Court Judge ruled the state falls woefully short. In a vote of 29-21, the Senate passed the school privatization bill. It impacts 1.7 million public school students in our state.

“That directed our state policymakers to address the inequities in our school funding systems in our public schools,” said Chris Lilienthal, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

What policymakers came up with isn’t sitting well with everyone.

Lilienthal says PSEA is opposed to a proposal where “Lifeline Scholarships,” also called school vouchers, are given to students in low-achieving public schools.

“Programs like this take state taxpayer dollars that should be going into our public school classrooms and instead gives those resources to private and religious schools,” Lilienthal continued.

State Senator Kim Ward, a Republican out of Westmoreland County, is a strong supporter of the program. Thursday, she posted a message to her Instagram account, saying:

“Lifeline Scholarships give students in low-achieving school districts the opportunity to graduate, obtain a skill or degree and secure a job by removing themselves from a failing situation.”

The Lifeline Scholarships would go to the bottom 15% of public schools. Eligibility would include a requirement that students live in an area where the school has low-achieving test scores based on annual reading and math scores.

Data shows that in our area, 40 public schools in Allegheny County meet the criteria, along with several schools in Beaver, Washington, Westmoreland, Fayette, and Greene County.

Even though the Senate passed the bill, it still has a long way to go. Next up is the House of Representatives.

Lilienthal says the House has voted against bills like this one in the past.

It’s worth noting that without new spending authority in place by Saturday, the state will be legally barred from making some payments, although a stalemate typically last weeks before an effect on services is felt.

In a long-term stalemate, the state is legally bound to make debt payments, cover Medicaid costs for millions of Pennsylvanians, issue unemployment compensation payments and keep prisons open.

All state employees under Gov. Shapiro will continue to report to work and be paid as scheduled.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.

Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW

©2023 Cox Media Group