Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin recently visited Central Dauphin Middle School in Harrisburg, to elaborate on the investments in public K-12 education secured in the 2024-25 bipartisan budget – specifically efforts to drive dollars to the public schools that need them most.
The 2024-25 budget includes $1.1 billion in total increases in K-12 public education funding, the largest year-over-year increase in Commonwealth history. According to Shapiro, the budget delivers significant progress on building strong and safe school communities, equitably funding public schools and supporting teachers.
“There’s nothing more important than investing in our children and their future, and we’ll continue to work together to deliver for them,” said Shapiro. “This budget builds on our progress investing in student teacher stipends, mental health resources, and school environmental repairs — while we also improve how school funding is allocated with a new formula that drives dollars out to the schools who need it most.”
Of this funding, nearly $526 million will be distributed through a new adequacy formula to drive dollars to the schools that need them most. The budget also sets aside $100 million to reimburse schools for payments they must make to cyber charter schools.
The budget increases special education funding by $100 million to ensure that school districts have the basic resources necessary to provide high-quality special education services to students with disabilities and special needs.
The budget continues a $20 million annual investment in school safety and security improvements and provides $100 million in sustainable funding for environmental repairs and other facility projects in schools — $25 million of which is set aside for solar projects at schools. This budget also delivers $100 million to put more mental health and physical safety resources in schools across Pennsylvania.
There will be a $30 million increase for Career and Technical Education, and $3 million to provide menstrual hygiene products at no cost to students in schools.
The budget invests an additional $2.7 million in the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and an additional $15 million for the Pre-K Counts program.
To address the teacher shortage, the 2024-25 budget doubles funding for student teacher stipends, for a total of $20 million to support Pennsylvanians training to become certified and committed educators in the Commonwealth.
“Excellent schooling can only exist where there is proper funding to support it, and that’s what this budget delivers to schools all over Pennsylvania,” said Rep. Patty Kim. “Historic investments this year empower every child with better-paid teachers, modern technology, and strong buildings and classrooms. This budget is more than a piece of legislation – it provides the tools for a better future for all.”
