PA. Budget Cuts to Public Schools Reduced from $1.1 Billion to 0.9 Billion

[JPZenger]

The Republican majorities in the legislature and Governor Gashole have agreed upon a budget, which has now passed the State Senate. The Republican legislators cut Corbett's proposed cut in public school funding from $1.1 billion to 0.9 billion. Fortunately, much of the difference was directed to poor urban school districts. Therefore, the budget cuts go from completely devastating to really painful.

The proposed cuts to state-owned and state-related universities were reduced from a proposed 50 percent cut to an 18 to 19 percent.

Senate Majority Leader Pilegi is given much of the credit for the reduced school cuts. The Chester-Upland School District is probably the poorest district in the state and is in his district. He also is a former mayor of Chester. Chester-Upland had planned to eliminate 40% of their teaching staff. Allentown had planned to eliminate 15% of their teaching staff.

I imagine some of the credit also belongs to GOP Senator Pat Browne, who has a key role in appropriations and whose district includes the Allentown School District.

The Democrats in both houses were completely shut out of the process, and were literally locked out of the room.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/124684693.html

[Yellow Horse]

1. Cuts are still cuts.

Corbett would rather spend our tax dollars on prisons, especially privatized ones.

[JPZenger]

2. Rich Districts Had Smaller % Cut than Poor Ones

wwww.philly.com

Yesterday, the Phila. Inquirer had a good article describing that many rich districts ended up with a much smaller percentage cut than poor districts. It said Tredyfrin SD in Chester only ended up with a 13% cut in its state funds, while many poor districts still had a 20% or 30% cut. Philadelphia SD still suffered massive cuts and still moving ahead with devastating teaching layoffs.

The final public education cut was about $850 million.

The main problem is that too many Dems stayed home in November, and the teabaggers were able to win a large majority for the GOP in the State House - even electing a 22 year old who never had a real job, against a Dem candidate who was a West Point grad. If the Dems had retained their small majority in the House, Corbett would have had to include Dems in negotiations, instead of locking them out. 2 Republicans from Phila. voted with the Dems but it was not enough to make a difference.