HARRISBURG, Pa. — Do you want to pay less in property taxes? House and Senate Democrats, along with Governor Tom Wolf, say they have a plan which will decrease what people pay and help all students receive an equitable education.
They want to invest half of the $3 billion in surplus they say the state has to fully implement the Fair Funding Formula.
They say they do not want a child's education to be determined by their zip code. They claim some parents will leave their school districts for others so that their children can get a better education.
They called for change Tuesday morning outside of the Capitol in Harrisburg.
“It’s impossible to calculate how much we have lost as a state, as a society, thanks to inequitable funding leaving kids behind instead of growing their unlimited potential,” House Democratic Leader Joanna McClinton, D-Phila./Delaware, said. “It’s time to make sure the playing field is level. It’s time to make sure a line drawn on a map decades ago isn’t a ticket to success for one child while being a ticket to struggle for another. We’ve had the tools, now we have the money. Let’s do this right.”
“We've been fighting for fairly, equitably, adequately funded schools for years here in Harrisburg, and we were told that there wasn't enough money, that we had deficits, that there wasn't enough revenue - but we don't have those problems this year,” Senate Democratic Leader Jay Costa, D-Allegheny, said. “Between the American Rescue Plan and the surplus we have, there is money for our schools and the time for excuses has past. Our students must be a priority statewide, and the budget is where we can show what we value. The PA Senate Democrats, and everyone here, value students and will fight for a budget that shows it.”
“We won’t tolerate two Pennsylvania’s, divided by wealth and separated by zip code,” Senate Democratic Appropriations Committee Chairman Vince Hughes, D-Phila., said. “We now have the opportunity to unite behind safe and healthy classrooms for every student, every teacher and every school employee in this commonwealth. We won’t accept less.”
Scott Coover of Cumberland County knows what it's like to have a zip code dictate his child's success.
"I've moved a couple of times, and I've seen that from different school districts. They don't even have to be far apart. Big Spring School District in Carlisle -- my son went from one to another, and he was behind," explained Coover. "You find out 'hey, you're half a year behind in curriculum' because they don't have the technology to keep up."
The Fair Funding Formula has come up before.
In 2016, Gov. Wolf signed it into law. Advocates say the law was designed to address inequities in school districts where municipal lines divided the tax base. In some communities, adjoining districts have the same tax rate but have a difference of thousands of dollars per student in expenditures.
The problem? Supporters say the Fair Funding Formula has only applied to new investments since its enactment. Last year just $700 million – 11% of total school spending – was distributed fairly.
They add, many of the state's 500 public districts are being funded based on student enrollment data from 1992 which doesn't account for increases in population or what it costs to run a district in 2021. Supporters say that forces the people who live in those places to make up for the underfunding Property taxes are increased which hurts homeowners and businesses.
Their plan would apply Fair Funding to all school spending and protect all districts from any cuts. Under their proposal, every school district would see an increase in dollars. Historically shortchanged districts would receive larger increases.
"We will not forget these children...We will make sure the children in Harrisburg, the children in Lancaster, and the children in York, and not just the children in the big cities and in fact the rural communities are not left behind," exclaimed Sen Hughes.
Many House Republicans support the Fair Funding Formula. Press Secretary Jason Gottesman says they just want it implemented well. He also believes the funding for the proposal isn't being reflected accurately.
"Our budget just isn't as rosy as they're making it out to be," said Gottesman. "Frankly, we'll make sure education is funded the best of our ability, and we'll make sure the budget is balanced that doesn't raise taxes on Pennsylvanians who have suffered enough."
If fully implemented, Coover wants to see if the fair funding formula will actually lower property taxes, like supporters tout.
"As a realtor, I see the other side of it; I see how many people this could help," Coover added.