Pennsylvania will receive millions of dollars through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). Under the governor’s proposed budget, some of these Stimulus dollars will be used to support a proposed 5.7% increase in the public school state subsidy. State government leaders say they are committed to adequate support for the programs that are an essential investment in our future.
Although funding for public schools is proposed to increase, deep cuts are proposed for the few education budget line items that benefit nonpublic school students. An 11.8% cut is proposed for textbooks, materials and equipment, and services to nonpublic schools.
The line items that benefit nonpublic students are minor in the overall scheme of the budget – just .02% percent of the $5.8 billion basic education subsidy. But the textbooks, materials, equipment and services they provide mean a lot to nonpublic schoolchildren and their parents. The federal stimulus dollars are available to cover these line items, too.
Parents of nonpublic school students understand that tough economic times require us to make the most of limited resources, but we agree that supporting a child’s education now is an investment in tomorrow’s economy. Send a message to your state elected officials asking for fair consideration for nonpublic schools in the education budget.
Interested in Catholic education? Get involved with ACE-PA, the Advocates for Catholic Education in Pennsylvania network. Contact Sean McAleer for more details – email him at smcaleer@pacatholic.org or call 717-238-9613.
