Keystone Today

Pennsylvania Sen. Vincent Hughes (D-Philadelphia) has announced a $3.7 billion proposal to use state surplus for investments in the state's education system.

“Today we will announce our plan to take Pennsylvania's largest-ever surplus to invest in equity, adequacy, infrastructure, staffing and student supports,” Hughes said in a Jan. 31 Facebook post.

According to the House Appropriations Committee, Hughes and several House Democrats and education advocates have proposed a school budget plan that would be the biggest investment in public education in state history.

The initiative includes a $1.1 billion investment for the Fair Funding Formula, which establishes each district’s fair share of the amount of funding available to allocate from the state, according to the House Appropriations Committee.

The proposal would include $250 million for staffing and recruitment, along with the $1.1 billion into restoring “toxic schools,” according to Hughes' website.

“Pennsylvania’s insufficient and unequal school system was put under a harsh spotlight by the pandemic, putting in focus the struggles faced by students, parents and teachers in underfunded districts,” Hughes said in a Jan. 31 Facebook post. “We now have a historic opportunity to correct that legacy and provide every student with the resources and opportunities they deserve.”

According to the House Appropriations Committee, the Fair Funding Formula is student-based, but there are inadequacies because each school district does not receive the same amount of state funding per student.

“That would be unfair and would ignore the vast differences in local resources available to districts, as well as the research-supported evidence that some students require more resources than others to succeed,” the House Appropriations Committee said.

The proposal also includes $125 million in mental health support and $100 million in academic support.

Hughes is urging visitors to his Facebook page who are concerned citizens to sign the petition.

“Your zip code shouldn’t determine the quality and safety of your school,” Hughes said in a Feb. 2 Facebook post. “But your zip code can help you find your representatives in the General Assembly so you can tell them that. Join the movement.”