FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 6, 2026
CONTACT:
John Neurohr, jneurohr@clearpointpa.com, 717-364-6452
Finish the Job, Fund Our Schools: Hundreds Rally at the Capitol as PA Schools Work Urges Senate to Pass On-Time, Bipartisan Budget with Third Installment of Adequacy Funding
Parents, students, educators, superintendents, faith leaders, and advocates from every corner of the Commonwealth gathered in Harrisburg today to call on the state Senate to pass HB 2400 and continue the bipartisan progress already delivering results in classrooms across Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG — Pennsylvanians from rural, suburban, and urban communities rallied today on the steps of the State Capitol as PA Schools Work, a statewide coalition of education, civil rights, faith, labor, parent, and community organizations advocating for adequate and equitable funding for Pennsylvania’s public schools, held its annual Advocacy Day.
Advocates held dozens of meetings with state lawmakers throughout the day and gathered for a rally and press conference to deliver a clear, unified message to the General Assembly: finish the job, fund our schools, and pass an on-time, bipartisan budget.
The rally came three weeks after the Pennsylvania House of Representatives passed HB 2400, Governor Shapiro’s FY 2026–27 budget, on a bipartisan vote. HB 2400 includes nearly $700 million in new investments for Pennsylvania public schools, including the third installment of $565 million in adequacy and tax equity payments, $50 million for Basic Education Funding, and $50 million for Special Education Funding. The bill now awaits action in the state Senate.
More than three years after the Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional, the third installment of adequacy funding would continue the bipartisan progress already delivering results in school districts across the Commonwealth — from full-day kindergarten and smaller K–3 class sizes, to structured literacy and high-dosage math tutoring, to expanded career and technical education and more counselors, social workers, and school psychologists in school buildings in rural, suburban, and urban communities.
Two installments of adequacy funding have closed roughly 22% of Pennsylvania’s adequacy gap. Approximately $3.8 billion remains. 360 of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts qualify for adequacy funding, the majority of them rural. Every district in the Commonwealth also benefits from increases to Basic Education and Special Education Funding and from cyber charter reforms enacted last year that are returning roughly $250 million annually to local school districts and taxpayers.
District-by-district fact sheets showing how every Pennsylvania school district will benefit from Governor Shapiro’s proposed FY 2026–27 budget are available at paschoolswork.org/school-district-data.
What speakers said at today’s rally
Susan Spicka, Executive Director, Education Voters of Pennsylvania:
“We are here today from Allegheny County to Schuylkill County, from Crawford County to Philadelphia and everywhere in between. We are here from rural and urban and suburban districts, from poor and rich school districts, to speak with one voice and tell our state lawmakers to finish the job, fund our schools, and pass an on-time, bipartisan budget.”
Dave McAndrew, Superintendent, Panther Valley School District (a plaintiff in the Fair Funding lawsuit):
“Just this past Monday, our third graders won a science competition. That doesn’t happen by chance — it happens because we were able to hire an elementary science teacher. We’ve added paraprofessionals, hired a guidance counselor, and for the first time in years, our math teachers have updated textbooks. This is what adequacy funding looks like. This is what opportunity looks like. But we are not done. There is still about $3.8 billion to go before every school in Pennsylvania is fully funded. Adequacy funding is not extra. It is not optional. It is essential. Finish the job.”
Kallel Edwards, Pennsylvania Senior Manager, Black Voters Matter:
“Just because you live in a certain city or zip code does not mean adequate funding is optional. These youth will shape the future of Pennsylvania. Now is the time for our lawmakers to come hand in hand with a solution followed by action to fully fund Pennsylvania schools. Let’s fully fund PA schools and give our students the tools they need to thrive, not just survive.”
Sakai Mills, student, Chester Upland School District:
“Every student in Chester Upland deserves a thorough and efficient public education. That is not just a belief — that is the Constitution. Bipartisan progress is real, and it is working. So today, I respectfully ask the Senate to continue that progress. Finish the job. Stay on the path to adequacy. When you invest in Chester Upland students, you are not just supporting schools — you are investing in futures, in opportunity, and in what is possible when we get this right.”
Ms. Paulette Foster, co-founder of the Education Rights Network and Special Education Community Organizer, 412 Justice:
“My phone doesn’t ring when things are going well. It rings when a mother is crying because her son’s speech therapy was skipped again, or when a father is told his daughter can’t get the one-to-one aide she needs to access her classroom. The proof is in. The path to adequacy is working. When we fund our schools properly, every district benefits and no district loses. We are lifting the floor for all children, including students with disabilities, from the city to the suburbs to our rural towns. Finish the job. Full funding for our students, and our future, now.”
Sebastian Diaz, student, Reading School District, and member of the Make the Road Pennsylvania youth group:
“Every district benefits from fair funding. No district loses. This is not a zero-sum issue — this is about making sure all children get what they deserve. Students like me deserve stability, not uncertainty. Delays in passing a budget hurt the districts that can least afford it. That’s why I am calling for an on-time, bipartisan budget that continues these critical investments in education. Our future depends on it. Please finish the job.”
Jer’Niyah Hanner, Pittsburgh Allderdice, and Jamie Halloway, Pittsburgh Obama, PA Youth Vote:
“At Pittsburgh Public Schools, they want to close down so many of our schools and strip away all the things that make them special. We need to create a better standard and raise the baseline — and the standard needs to be more than the bare minimum. Our students deserve more than the bare minimum. This is a nonpartisan issue. It affects all of our kids, all of our taxpayers, and everyone living in Pennsylvania.”
Virginia Espinosa, member, We Are CASA, and Harrisburg resident:
“Education is the foundation of progress. It is the most powerful tool we have to transform lives, open doors, and build a more just society. However, when access to a dignified education is not equitable, we are falling as a community — and here in Pennsylvania, we are being failed. I raise my voice not only for myself but for all the young people and families who deserve to be heard, especially low-income families who fight every day to provide a better future for their children.”
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About PA Schools Work
PA Schools Work is a non-partisan coalition of organizations from across Pennsylvania representing teachers and other educators, urban, suburban, and rural communities, and parents and other community members working together to advocate for adequate and equitable funding to ensure that all students have the resources they need to succeed. For more information on PA Schools Work, visit paschoolswork.org.