Basic Education Funding Commission
Thank you for your interest in the Basic Education Funding Commission and for visiting the Commission’s website.
The Basic Education Funding Commission recommended on June 18, 2015 that the General Assembly adopt a new formula for distributing state funding for basic education to Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts.
The 15-member group, created through Act 51 of 2014 (sponsored as House Bill 1738 by Representative Bernie O’Neill), held 15 hearings over 11 months and heard from more than 110 individuals including superintendents, school board presidents, business leaders, nonprofit organizations and parents before making their recommendations.
The Commission determined that allocation of basic education funding needs to allow for accountability, transparency and predictability. The main objective of the new funding formula is to fairly distribute state resources according to various student and school district factors. The new formula takes into account relative wealth, local tax effort, geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support as well as other factors.
While the Basic Education Funding Commission came to a unanimous conclusion on the formula needed to provide a fair distribution of state education dollars, the recommendations of the Commission will not go into effect without legislation approved by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor.
This website will be updated periodically as new information is available.
Sincerely,
Senator Pat Browne & Representative Mike Vereb
Co-Chairs of the Basic Education Funding Commission
News Releases
Jun
19
2015
June 19, 2015
The Basic Education Funding Commission full report released yesterday to the General Assembly and the public is now online, according to a statement from the members of the Commission. [Read More]
Jun
18
2015
June 18, 2015
The Basic Education Funding Commission recommended today (June 18th) that the General Assembly adopt a new formula for distributing state funding for basic education to Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts, according to a statement from the members of the Commission.
Basic Education Funding Commission – Final Report
[Read More]
Aug
19
2014
August 19, 2014
The Basic Education Funding Commission will hold its first hearing on the current funding of education and the formula used to distribute state funding to Pennsylvania school districts.
[Read More]
Jul
24
2014
July 24, 2014
The Basic Education Funding Commission held its inaugural and organizational meeting today (July 24) and is now ready to begin its work developing an adequate and fair system for distributing state money to local school districts, according to Senator Pat Browne (R-Lehigh) and Representative Mike Vereb (R-Montgomery).
[Read More]
Jul
23
2014
July 23, 2014
The Basic Education Funding Commission will hold its inaugural and organizational meeting. [Read More]
Public Hearings
Apr
27
2015
April 27, 2015
Opening remarks by Co-chairs – Senator Browne and Representative Vereb
10:05-10:35 AM
The Honorable Bill Peduto
Mayor, Pittsburgh
Witness:
Bill Peduto, Mayor
10:35–11:05 AM
Ira Weiss, Solicitor; and Ron Joseph, Chief Operating Officer
Pittsburgh School District
Pittsburgh School District
11:05-11:35 AM
Harold Grant, Parliamentarian/Staff Rep.
Pittsburgh Federation of Teachers
11:35-12:05 AM
Carey Harris, Executive Director
A+ SCHOOLS
12:05-12:35 PM
Cristine Wagner-Deitch, IU 27
Director of Curriculum Services and Gifted Liaison
12:35 PM
Public Comment&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&speed=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&buttons.like=0&” width=”100%” frameborder=”0″ allow=”fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen style=”position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;”>
Basic Education Funding Commission Hearing – April 27, 2015
[Read More]
Mar
11
2015
March 11, 2015
Open Remarks
Co-Chairs Senator Pat Browne, Representative Mike Vereb, Senator Rob Teplitz
Representative Mark Longietti and Secretary of the Budget,
Randy Albright
10:05 a.m.
Jennifer Smallwood, Board President
James Thompson, Board Vice President
Harrisburg School Board
Ford Thompson, Board President
Central Dauphin School Board
Charles Thiemann, Board President
West Perry School Board
10:50 a.m.
Tim Shrom
Business Manager, Solanco School District
Dr. Thomas Newcome
Superintendent, Octorara Area School District
11:30 a.m.
Dr. John Kurelja
Superintendent, Warrior Run School District
Dr. Mark DiRocco
Superintendent, Lewisburg Area School District
Mr. W. Charles Young
Superintendent, Troy Area School District
12:10 p.m.
Joan Duvall-Flynn
NAACP – PA
Carol Metzler
Coalition Against Human Trafficking
William Farmer
Child Trauma Therapist/Member Trauma Informed Education Coalition
12: 40 p.m.
Tracey DePasquale
Associate Director, Lutheran Advocacy Ministry in Pa.
Attachment
Lori Gallagher, LPC, Gallagher Counseling
Kristy Robinson, MSW, Program Training and Development, Laurel Life Services
Bill Hodge, Associate Superintendent, Chambersburg Area School District
1:10 p.m.
Public Comment
Lisa Lightner&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&speed=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&buttons.like=0&” width=”100%” frameborder=”0″ allow=”fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen style=”position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;”>
Basic Education Funding Commission – March 12, 2015
[Read More]
Feb
04
2015
February 04, 2015
Open Remarks – Co-Chairs Senator Pat Browne and Representative Mike Vereb
10:05 a.m.
Dr. Lee Burket
Director, Bureau of Career and Technical Education, PA Department of Education
11:05 a.m.
PA Association of Career and Technical Administrators (PACTA)
Jackie Cullen, Executive Director
Walter Slauch, Vice President and Administrative Director, Central Montco Technical High School
Thomas Allen, President and Administrative Director, Eastern Center for Arts and Technology
12:05 p.m.
David Warren
Executive Director, Lancaster County Career &title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&speed=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&buttons.like=0&” width=”100%” frameborder=”0″ allow=”fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen style=”position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;”>
Basic Education Funding Commission – February 5, 2015
[Read More]
Jan
29
2015
January 29, 2015
Basic Education Funding Commission Public Hearing – January 29, 2015
[Read More]
Dec
10
2014
December 10, 2014
Open Remarks
Co-Chairs Senator Pat Browne and Representative Mike Vereb
10:05 a.m.
Pedro A. Rivera
Superintendent, School District of Lancaster
Matt Przywara
Chief Financial Officer, School District of Lancaster
John Nodecker
Superintendent, Manheim Township School District
11:05 a.m.
Joan Benso
Attachment
President &title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&speed=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&buttons.like=0&” width=”100%” frameborder=”0″ allow=”fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen style=”position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;”>
Basic Education Funding Commission – December 10, 2014
[Read More]
Dec
04
2014
December 04, 2014
Open Remarks
Co-Chairs Senator Pat Browne and Representative Mike Vereb
10:05 a.m.
Nate Benefield, Vice President of Policy Analysis of the Commonwealth Foundation
11:05 a.m.
The Pennsylvania School Boards Association
12:05 p.m.
Mr. John Bell, Superintendent of Delaware Valley School District
Ms. Carole Geary, Superintendent of Pleasant Valley School District
Mrs. Sharon Laverdure, Superintendent of East Stroudsburg Area School District
Meg Dilger, President of School Board of Pocono Mountain School District
Dr. John A. Toleno, Superintendent of Stroudsburg Area School District&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0&speed=0&badge=0&autopause=0&player_id=0&buttons.like=0&” width=”100%” frameborder=”0″ allow=”fullscreen; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen style=”position:absolute;top:0;left:0;width:100%;height:100%;”>
Basic Education Funding Commission – December 4, 2014
[Read More]
