Governor Corbett is still withholding his signature, as of this morning.
For the fourth consecutive year, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed an annual budget prior to the June 30 deadline. House Bill 2328 respects the taxpayer and contains no new or increased taxes. The $29.1 billion spending plan, a 1.8 percent increase over the previous fiscal year, focuses on education, health and human services, and public safety.
Kindergarten through 12th-grade education, will receive a record $10.5 billion in state funds. Special education funding will see an increase of $20 million over last year, the first such increase in six years. Also included is $200 million in funding for the Ready to Learn Block Grant Program, which gives school districts more flexibility to invest the money where they see the greatest need.
Education funding amounts for schools in the new 131st Legislative District (effective Dec. 1, 2014) are as follows (includes basic education; special education; Accountability Block Grants; Ready to Learn Block Grants, transportation; and the state’s share of Social Security and retirement payments):
| • | East Penn School District – $23,624,067, a 7 percent increase of $1,540,229. |
| • | Salisbury Township School District – $5,375,983, a 6.1 percent increase of $307,419. |
| • | Saucon Valley School District – $7,034,320, a 8.1 percent increase of $525,857. |
| • | Southern Lehigh School District – $10,453,759, a 6.1 percent increase of $601,700. |
| • | Upper Perkiomen School District – $15,203,458, a 4.9 percent increase of $708,177. |
The Allentown City School District, which is included in the current 131st Legislative District, will receive $133,902,130, a 4.5 percent increase of $5,732,461.
In addition, the state is allocating $1.4 billion in the 2014-15 fiscal year to fund the state’s portion of school districts’ pension obligations, successfully fulfilling the state portion of pension payments.
The budget also would make significant investments in higher education. Funding for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, including East Stroudsburg, Kutztown and West Chester universities, would be maintained at the current level of more than $412 million. The Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) would receive a $5 million increase to boost its funding to more than $391 million. Community Colleges will receive a $3.5 million increase.
Although the House and Senate have agreed to the budget, it has not yet been signed into law by the governor.
Disclaimer: On January 4, 2016, the owner of WestEastonPA.com began serving on the West Easton Council following an election. Postings and all content found on this website are the opinions of Matthew A. Dees and may not necessarily represent the opinion of the governing body for The Borough of West Easton.
