Judge Rules PA’s School Funding System Is Unconstitutional

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Supporters participate in a school funding rally on the steps of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg
Image via The Philadelphia Inquirer
Supporters participate in a school funding rally on the steps of the Capitol Building in Harrisburg

In a landmark school funding case that involved the William Penn School District in Delaware County, Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubilerer ruled today that petitioners demonstrated “manifest deficiencies” between low- and high-wealth districts, declaring Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional.

Judge Jubilerer presided over a three-month trial that ended a year ago in a lawsuit brought by William Penn and other school districts, parents, and advocacy groups against the state, writes Maddie Hanna and Kristen A. Graham for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

The plaintiffs in the case argued the state underfunded public schools, creating a disparity between wealthier and poorer districts that end up relying largely on local tax revenue. Districts in wealthier communities have more revenue and can provide more and better resources than poorer districts.

In a 786-page decision, Judge Jubilerer said there was “no rational basis” for the disparities between the school districts and that students in lower-wealth districts are being deprived of their constitutional right to equal protection of law.

The Pennsylvania Constitution requires that lawmakers provide a “thorough and efficient system” of education.

The decision is expected to be appealed but it is not clear what the next step will be following the ruling.

“The Court is in uncharted territory with this landmark case,” Jubilerer said. “Therefore, it seems only reasonable to allow Respondents, comprised of the Executive and Legislative branches of government and administrative agencies with expertise in the field of education, the first opportunity, in conjunction with Petitioners, to devise a plan to address the constitutional deficiencies identified herein.”

Read more about the judge’s decision in this landmark school funding case in The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Why education funding is so unfair in Pennsylvania.

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