Here's what really happened with public education funding in PA.

[JPZenger]

After Pres. Obama talked about "brutal cuts" in PA. in funding for public schools and public universities, the Rep. PR machine threw up another smoke screen. Here's a good summary of what has really happened during the Corbett years to education funding.

However, this article fails to mention that Corbett actually tried to have much more severe cuts to public universities and public schools, but the Legislature each year restored some of the funding. Twice, Corbett tried to reduce state funding to public universities by a total of 50%, but he only got cuts of 20 to 25% enacted.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20130827_Thomas_Fitzgerald__Corbett_s_people_hit_back_on_education_spending.html

Excerpts:

"Pennsylvania's public institutions of higher education had their state funding cut 22 percent in the 2011-12 budget year; spending was frozen last year. In the current 2013-14 fiscal year, overall state spending on higher education is up 0.4 percent, or $5.2 million, according to analysis by the Pennsylvania Budget and Policy Center.

As far as K-12 public education goes, the state is providing $700 million less for basic aid to schools - the money that supports classroom programs - than it did when Corbett took office. Rendell used $364 million in stimulus money to supplant state dollars in basic education aid in his last education budget, and the Corbett administration cut the state appropriation for basic education by $335 million in its first few weeks, using stimulus funds to make up the difference, according to the Education Policy and Leadership Center.

Since then, the Corbett administration has been putting money back into the line item. In this budget, for instance, basic education was increased by $122.5 million. But what of the Corbett claim that it is spending more state money on education than at any point in state history? "The only way that works is if you count additional state payments into the pension system" for school employees, said Ron Cowell, president of the EPLC. That was $160 million this year, mandated by law."

[Curmudgeoness]

1. I hope that everyone understands

that when Corbett cuts education funds, he is not holding the line on taxes.....he is just thinking that we can't blame him for what our local school boards have to do with their taxes, just to stay where they were. Don't let anyone forget this.

Also, there is no mention of all the education dollars that Corbett is happily giving to charter schools. That is even more money out of the local school coffers.