Calling on the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Education to Hold Hearings Concerning the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's Approach to Education Funding.

WHEREAS, The 2013 - 2014 enacted early, basic and higher education budget for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania totals $11.63 billion, with $9.75 billion going to support public schools, $1.59 billion allocated to higher education, and $61.1 million appropriated to libraries (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2013 - 14 Enacted Education Budget); and

WHEREAS, Of the $9.75 billion allocated to support public schools, $5.52 billion is for basic education funding, $100 million is for accountability grants, $62 million is for career and technical education, $3 million is for career and technical education equipment grants, $864,000 is for mobile science and math education programs, $1.03 billion is for special education, $495 million is for school employees' social security, $1.02 billion is for school employees' retirement, $221.9 million is for early intervention, $87.3 million is for Pre-K counts, and $39.2 million is for Head Start supplemental assistance (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2013 - 14 Enacted Education Budget); and

WHEREAS, Of the $1.59 billion appropriated to higher education, community colleges will receive $212.1 million, state-related universities will receive $503.4 million, the state system of higher education will receive $412.7 million, and $344.8 million will be distributed through Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency grants (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2013 - 14 Enacted Education Budget); and

WHEREAS, Of the $61.1 million allotted for libraries, $53.5 million is for public library subsidies, $3 million is for library access, and $2.6 million is for library services for the visually impaired and disabled (Pennsylvania Department of Education, 2013 - 14 Enacted Education Budget); and

WHEREAS, On average, state governments across the country fund 43.5% of the total amount spent on public elementary and secondary education (United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2009 - 2010

); and

WHEREAS, The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is below the national average with regards to funding public elementary and secondary education, contributing 35.8% (United States Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics,

Revenues and Expenditures for Public Elementary and Secondary Education: School Year 2009 - 2010

); and

WHEREAS, In the City of Philadelphia, school libraries continue to close, school counselors and nurses are assigned to more than one location, school offices are understaffed, and the student-to -teacher- ratio is increasing; now therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the Philadelphia City Council Committee on Education shall hold hearings concerning the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania's approach to education funding.

End