The Pennsylvania state budget had one winner in the education spending category. The budget for the Educational Improvement Tax Credit program increased 25% for donations made to private schools or by $15 million.
But the cuts were deep and devastating for public schools.
Penn State University experienced an 18% state funding budget cut. Temple University was also hit with a large cut and has already announced a 10% tuition increase.
Schools in the State System of Higher Education--Slippery Rock University, Shippensburg University, West Chester University and others--suffered a 19% budget cut.
The damage was not restricted to higher education. $900 million was cut from K-12 public education.
Massive layoffs are resulting, with Philadelphia alone laying off 3,000.
How large education cuts will create jobs now or create jobs in the future is a mystery.
Meanwhile the General Assembly did balk--for now--at the proposal to spend $1 billion to finance a new, massive school voucher program.
I don't have anything against private schools, but public education needs to seriously be looked at again. We, I mean the government, is doing a huge disservice to our children by cutting teachers and programs throughout the state of PA. I worked in a 5th grade classroom last year with students who still cannot add and subtract, multiply and divide, without using a calculator or their fingers. These were not children with low IQ's or other disadvantages. They are children who are falling through the cracks, because we don't have enough teachers and aides to truly help the children become better learners and have more confidence in their futures.
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