The economic recession resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic is significantly impacting the School District of Philadelphia (SDP). Next school year, the District is projecting a $38 million funding shortfall, which will grow to $1 billion in the next five years unless specific action is taken by the Commonwealth. The current financial crisis could be just as severe as what we lived through 10 years ago when the state’s $300 million funding cut to SDP led to drastic layoffs, reduced supports for schools, significant decreases in school building maintenance and improvements, and more. If state legislators cut education funding again, it could erase all of the progress we’ve made together over the last eight years.
Fund Our Schools
The Crisis Ahead
What We Need from State Legislators Now
In order to avoid drastic budget cuts and continue to provide the academic programs and supports our students need and deserve, we need the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to do two things:
Keep public education funding at current 2019-2020 levels.
Our School District receives 51% of its funding from the state. Major budget cuts from our primary funding source would be harmful to our students and schools. Don’t let the state balance its budget next year at the expense of our children.
Ask #1: Do not cut public education funding for SY2020-2021. Maintain funding at 2019-2020 levels.
Send us all of our federal relief funding.
Congress set aside $13.2 billion in emergency relief funds to address the impact of COVID-19 on the nation’s K-12 public schools. SDP should receive about $116 million of those funds.
Ask #2: Send the School District of Philadelphia all of its allotted federal relief funds. Do not use them to meet other state obligations or offset other funding for our schools and students.
Every Thursday is Public Education Advocacy Day in Philadelphia.
Let’s make our voices heard in Harrisburg
every Thursday until the state budget is passed.
Call and email your state senator, state representative and Governor Wolf to let them know that you are counting on them to Fund Our Schools!
Join our social media campaign using #fundourschools to ask our elected officials in Harrisburg to Fund Our Schools!
Resources
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- Call-to-Action Fact Sheet
English, SHQIP, عربي , 汉语, ខ្មែរ, Français, Português, Русский, Español, Việt - Tips on Having an Opinion Piece Published
English, SHQIP, عربي , 汉语, ខ្មែរ, Français, Português, Русский, Español, Việt - Why Strong Public Schools Matter to Everyone
English, SHQIP, عربي , 汉语, ខ្មែរ, Français, Português, Русский, Español, Việt - Social Media Toolkit
English, SHQIP, عربي , 汉语, ខ្មែរ, Français, Português, Русский, Español, Việt - Sample Letter to Officials
English, SHQIP, عربي , 汉语, ខ្មែរ, Français, Português, Русский, Español, Việt