The WHYY podcast series “Schooled” looked at how school funding disparities in Pennsylvania affect schools like Penn Wood High in the William Penn School District.

A visit to Penn Wood High School highlighted how those funding disparities have contributed to the poor condition of the school building, inadequate teaching and library resources, and student overcrowding.

Property taxes fund on average about 55 percent of a school district. Since taxable wealth varies from community to community, so does the amount of money that comes into districts. 

The property encompassing the William Penn School District is worth about $1.5 billion. Nearby districts can claim property values many times higher.

Add to that the fact that high-poverty districts receive about 20 percent less state funding per student.

A decision of white families to move away or enroll students in private schools also affected William Penn’s property values.

The end result is a de facto segregated school system.

More than 80 percent of William Penn students are Black. Two-thirds are low-income.

“When your school isn’t in the best of shape, it can make you feel bad about yourself and your own self-esteem,” said Nasharie Steward, 20, who graduated Penn Wood High in 2021. “It makes you wonder, ‘Why aren’t you worth the necessary funding to have what other schools have?’”

Read more about how funding disparities affect William Penn at WHYY.