Governor proposes $52 million for county schools

Gov. Tom Wolf unveiled his proposed 2022-23 state budget last week and it includes more than $52 million for Clarion County’s seven public school districts.

According to the state Department of Education, that is almost $6 million more than last year.

Proposed basic and special education funding, along with Ready To Learn grants for Clarion County total $52,261,444.

According to the state Department of Education, that is $5,973,900 more in basic and special education funding than last year.

But those totals are likely to change as the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and Senate soon attacked Democrat Wolf’s proposed budget. The House of Representatives will prepare its own 2022-23 budget in the coming months.

The two sides must, by law, have a state budget in place by June 30, 2022.

“Unfortunately, Gov. Wolf’s proposal abandons any notion of smart fiscal stewardship,” state Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-21) said in a press release. “It overestimates revenues while underestimating expenditures, and it spends one-time federal funds to pay for ongoing programs.

“We can’t engage in reckless spending like the federal government. The make-believe numbers presented (Feb. 8) are unreasonable and should not be relied upon by school districts or other programs that receive state government dollars.”

Hutchinson said the legislature has to “go back to the drawing board during the budget process and develop a more sustainable plan.”

In announcing his spending plan, Wolf said, “We can afford to invest a whole lot more in the fair funding formula without raising one penny in state taxes. And we can afford to do it without asking any school district, anywhere in Pennsylvania, to sacrifice one penny in state funding.”

Wolf added, “Let’s not waste this opportunity. Let’s not force our successors in public office — not to mention our kids and grandkids — to pay the price for our failure to act. Last year, we made a historic investment in our schools.

“This year, we have an opportunity to build on that momentum and make a generational difference for students all across the commonwealth.”

A closer look at proposed funding in each district in Clarion County includes:

(All information is based on state Department of Education data. Totals do not include possible secondary career and technical education subsidies.)

Allegheny-Clarion Valley

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 616. Proposed basic education funding: $6,374,212, an increase of $381,032 (6.36 percent); proposed special education funding: $771,872 an increase of $69,895 (9.95 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $151,489. Total proposed funding: $7,297,573.

Clarion Area

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 747. Proposed basic education funding: $4,460,333, an increase of $1,162,980 (35.27 percent); proposed special education funding: $646,872 an increase of $101,240 (18.55 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $99,414. Total proposed funding: $5,206,619.

Clarion-Limestone

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 818. Proposed basic education funding: $5,858,585, an increase of $578,398 (10.95 percent); proposed special education funding: $808,009 an increase of $99,231 (14 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $158,575. Total proposed funding: $6,825,169.

Keystone

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 883. Proposed basic education funding: $8,021,578, an increase of $771,421 (10.64 percent); proposed special education funding: $934,233 an increase of $ (113,037 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $194,891. Total proposed funding: $9,150,702.

North Clarion

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 600. Proposed basic education funding: $4,049,741, an increase of $460,444 (12.83 percent); proposed special education funding: $443,625 an increase of $37,774 (9.31 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $91,295. Total proposed funding: $4,584,661.

Redbank Valley

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 1,028. Proposed basic education funding: $10,007,700, an increase of $1,072,635 (12 percent); proposed special education funding: $1,069,135 an increase of $115,905 (12.16 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $229,939. Total proposed funding: $11,306,774.

Union

Latest enrollment (2020-21): 579. Proposed basic education funding: $6,981,140, an increase of $896,914 (14.74 percent); proposed special education funding: $751,024 an increase of $113,024 (17.72 percent); Ready To Learn grant: $157,782. Total proposed funding: $7,889,946.