HARRISBURG (April 26, 2022) — PA Schools Work, a non-partisan coalition of organizations representing the state’s urban, suburban and rural communities, issued the following statement following Governor Wolf’s remarks in an Associated Press story about better than expected revenue figures:
“This year’s budget surplus is more than enough to appropriate $1.75 billion in urgently needed education funds for the upcoming fiscal year. Governor Wolf is quoted today as saying that projections show revenues will exceed expectations for the month of April by $1.5 billion. This, on top of the $2.7 billion in excess revenue already collected in 2022, is welcome news for students and educators in Pennsylvania. Far too many students fell behind during COVID and these funds are the lynchpin to helping them catch up.
“We urge lawmakers to recognize that our schools are billions short of what is needed. Class sizes are too large, school materials are out of date, and school staff are leaving the profession in droves. Now is the time to invest tax dollars in the future of the state’s children and support schools in doing their job to prepare students for real world jobs and college.”