A lawsuit on school funding adequacy is continuing in Pennsylvania’s Commonwealth Court.
How does it impact the local region? The Education Law Center of Pennsylvania and the Public Interest Law Center, which are representing the petitioners in the case, created a website to show the underfunding in each district across Pennsylvania.
“In 2008, state law set a benchmark for calculating the resources that schools need so that their students have a shot at reaching state academic standards,” read a statement on the Fund Our Schools website. As part of the lawsuit, Dr. Matthew Kelly, a professor at Penn State’s College of Education, calculated the amount needed in each district to meet the state’s benchmark, finding that 277 districts need more than $2,000 additional funding per student to support their learning needs.
According to the site, locally, only two school districts were adequately funded using the state’s benchmark — Potter County’s Austin Area School District, which has 163 total students; and Elk County’s Johnsonburg Area School District, which has a total enrollment of 576 students.
According to the website, the district with the largest shortfall locally is the St. Marys Area School District, with a shortfall of $3,533 per student. Enrollment in the district is 2,032.
Kane Area School District would need an additional $2,990 per student. Enrollment is 1,111.
Next would be Bradford Area School District, which would need an additional $2,857 per student to make the benchmark. Enrollment is 2,551.
Port Allegany and Coudersport school districts each would need an additional $2,210 per student. Enrollment for the districts is 901 and 763, respectively.
Otto-Eldred School District was reported as having a shortfall of $1,874 per student. Enrollment is 619.
Northern Potter School District had a shortfall of $1,708 per student. Enrollment is 522.
Ridgway Area School District had a shortfall of $1,494 per student, with an enrollment of 805 students.
Smethport Area School District would need an additional $1,219 per student to meet the state’s benchmark, the website indicated. Enrollment is 776.
Oswayo Valley School District had a shortfall of $1,204 per student, with an enrollment of 413.
Galeton Area School District had a shortfall of $442 per student, with an enrollment of 362.
Cameron County School District had the smallest shortfall locally, at $342 per student, with an enrollment of 555.
