Set politics aside and find a fair school-funding formula
02/05/2014 08:51AM ● By AclLetter to the Editor:
We need a fair school-funding formula in Pennsylvania. This is something that is widely agreed upon. Doing one study to develop a plan and make sure that the spending of any taxpayer dollars is done wisely, that makes sense. Doing it twice is irresponsible.
In 2006, the legislature worked together and funded a costing-out study and created a fair funding formula that distributed funds in a manner that helped poorer districts without damaging wealthier districts. The fair funding formula was implemented in 2008 and schools began seeing a positive impact on student achievement. We were moving education in a positive direction across the state. In 2011, in Tom Corbett’s first budget, he and the House leadership scrapped the fair funding formula altogether. Poorer and rural school districts lost ground. Now, Governor Corbett announced that he wants to spend more taxpayer dollars to study a fair funding formula. He now says we need a fair funding formula in Pennsylvania. Has everyone forgotten that we had one? Why should taxpayer money be spent needlessly when we have a funding formula that has been approved and proven? Why can’t we use that funding formula? Is it only because it passed under a previous governor from the “other party”?
There is an inability in politics for one party to be willing to say that the other party has a good idea and be willing to work together for the success of the state or nation. We witness this every day in the national news. When one party is unwilling to listen to the other party because they don’t want the “other side” to have a win, the people lose. I know for certain that no one political party has all the answers. I believe we can work together. I believe that we need people at all levels of government who are willing to put partisan politics aside, sit down side-by-side and work together for the good of the people. It can be done.
Susan F. Rzucidlo
Candidate PA House 158th District