Education cuts deeper than originally thought: poorer school districts hurt the most

[PA Democrat]

<snip>

The proposed budget reduces basic education funding from $5.8 billion to $5.3 billion, a message that came through loud and clear following the governor's budget address on Tuesday. But it was the news that filtered in later that the proposed budget also eliminates millions of dollars in state accountability block grants, educational assistance grants and reimbursements for charter school tuition that shocked public school officials.

The elimination of the grant programs means that some districts will have to consider returning their kindergarten programs to half day as they used accountability grant funds to expand to full day. It also means after-school tutoring programs financed by the educational assistance grants will be eliminated.


Because less wealthy districts rely more on state funding than wealthier districts, the cuts mean the poorest districts are hurt the most.

For example, the Duquesne City School District will lose about $4 million of its $15.5 million annual budget, counting education funding, grants and charter school reimbursement.


Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/11070/1131218-298.stm#ixzz1GIL2ZGEw

[Divernan]

1. Next up: Work study jobs for 5 year olds at Mcdonalds.

Shades of Upton Sinclair: The Jungle

[PA Democrat]

2. Corbett doesn't give a damn about the state's most vulnerable children.

I am more angry than I was on Tuesday. For some of the poorest school districts in the state, Corbett is slashing their funding by more than 30%!

Link below is a pdf file showing the total education cuts by school district.

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/pdf/201103/20110311budgetcuts_taxes.pdf

[JPZenger]

3. Why should he care? People in cities don't vote Republican.

[old mark]

4. That is exactly right. Berks County voted Democratic when Ridge as governor, and we got

nothing from the state at a time when many other areas were getting a lot of extra support. We are a big union area with a lot of public service workers and traditionally vote Democratic. And we also have a lot of Latinos and immigrants including Muslims.
I expect we will be hit very hard for all of that by the scum in Harrisburg.

mark