Local schools pleased - mostly - with Wolf's budget proposal

Given Pennsylvania's current fiscal and political climate, a proposed budget with millions of dollars in new money for school districts is a win, officials - and some education watchers - say.

Gov. Wolf on Tuesday said he wants to provide $100 million in new basic education funding to the state's school districts for the 2018 fiscal year, plus $25 million more for special education, $75 million in new early childhood funds, and $8.9 million more for the universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education.

Superintendents said the money would help, but many are concerned that the aid from Harrisburg will not keep pace with their rising pension costs.

"You'd always like to invest and provide more for our kids," Education Secretary Pedro A. Rivera. "Given the revenue, the fact that the governor was able to provide more than $100 million more for schools - it's a good day."

Donna Cooper, executive director for Public Citizens for Children and Youth and a former top official under Gov. Ed Rendell, called Wolf's proposal "a refreshing commitment to one special interest - the state's children."

Jerry Oleksiak, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and a special-education teacher in the Upper Merion School District, noted that Wolf inherited a school funding crisis and has fought to right it.

"If this budget becomes law, he will have increased basic education funding by $500 million since he became governor," Oleksiak said. "Thanks to his leadership, we're close to reversing the massive 2011 school funding cuts that led to program cuts, increased property taxes, and 27,000 lost education jobs."

Philadelphia, the state's largest school district, would see a $27.1 million increase over last year's basic and special education funding lines.

"We are pleased that under difficult budget circumstances, education remains a top priority," said H. Lee Whack, a spokesman for the Philadelphia School District. "Under the new fair funding formula enacted last year, Philadelphia will see its fair share of the new education funding proposed by the governor in both basic and special education."

Haverford Township school board member Lawrence Feinberg, founder of the grassroots education advocacy group Keystone State Education Coalition, said he was glad to see an increase in education spending. But, he said, it "doesn't come close to covering school districts' share of pension cost increases."

Feinberg said he supported the $75 million bump for early childhood programs but with a $50 million cut in pupil transportation, "the governor giveth, and the governor taketh away."

With this budget, school districts "will not even be breaking even with increasing costs, which will be borne by local taxpayers for the most part," said Feinberg.

"Without significant, sustained increases in funding, it will be years and years before kids in underfunded districts have the resources they need - and that the new state formula acknowledges are required - for an adequate education," Feinberg said.

Pennsylvania has the biggest gap in the country between wealthy and poor districts.

Wolf's proposed budget would provide the 14 state system universities with a nearly $9 million funding increase - $52 million less than the system requested. If the governor's budget increase passes, it likely will mean budget cuts and tuition increases for the already strapped system, which is about to undergo a review that could lead to mergers or closure of some of the universities.

Kenn Marshall, a spokesman for the system, said system officials are nonetheless grateful for the proposed increase.

"Given the rest of the budget and the challenge that the commonwealth is facing, we're certainly pleased that the governor is recommending an increase next year," Marshall said. "It's not as much as we requested, but it certainly will be helpful to our universities and our students."

Under the governor's proposal,  the four state-related universities, Pennsylvania State, Temple, Pittsburgh and Lincoln, would see their state funding frozen at the current level. Community colleges also would not get an increase.

Wolf's proposed budget would eliminate all $30 million in funding for the University of Pennsylvania's veterinary school.

Penn in a statement indicated it was preparing for a fight.

"While we recognize the severity of the commonwealth's budget challenges, in the coming months we will be actively working to expand awareness of the vet school's historic partnership with the commonwealth, which was designed to protect the health and safety of the citizens of Pennsylvania and its largest industry, agriculture," it said.

Staff writer Susan Snyder contributed to this article.