The Pennsylvania Legislature, in a broad bipartisan vote, has increased state educational funding by $225 million for the 100 most underfunded school districts in the state.

The Legislature passed, and Gov. Tom Wolf signed into law, educational appropriations bills SB 1223 and HB 2414, totaling $7.6 billion. School funding was increased by $1 billion to all 500 Pennsylvania school districts, including the $225 million “level up” subsidy that will help close the funding disparity gap between the state’s rich and poor districts. In Delaware County, that will mean that all school districts will share an increase of $38.6 million in state basic education funding and $5.6 million in special education funding over last year's allocation.

According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Chester-Upland will receive $4.8 million in Level Up funding and $95.6 million in basic education funding. Upper Darby will get $4.3 million in Level Up funding and $55 million in basic funding. Southeast Delco will receive $2.1 million in Level Up funding and $24.9 million in basic funding., William Penn School District will receive $1.9 million in Level Up funding and $30.3 million in basic funding.

The Level Up Coalition, a partnership of educational organizations around the state, lobbied for the change in the Fair Funding formula. Pennsylvania ranks 44th among the states in school funding. The state provides only 38% of the total school funding while property taxes cover 53% of the funding. The federal government provides 11%. Nationally, property taxes fund 48% of school spending while state subsidies provide 40% and federal funding provides 12%. The coalition noted that while Pennsylvania’s 100 poorest districts make up only 20% of the state’s districts, they serve nearly two-thirds of the state’s Black students and English-as-a-second language learners, more than half of the state’s Hispanic students and students in poverty, about one-third of the state’s students with disabilities and one-third of Pennsylvania’s total school population.

The lawsuit challenging the state’s school funding formula brought by several school districts, including the William Penn District in Delaware County, was tried in February and awaits a decision by Commonwealth Court.

The League of Women Voters of Delaware County applauds the Legislature for joining together in a bipartisan effort to begin closing the gap funding between the state’s wealthy and poor school districts.