Letter to the editor: Funding, not schools, broken

In his op-ed “Now is the time for transformational change in Pa. education” (March 28, TribLIVE), state Rep. Jesse Topper fails to mention that the majority of K-12 funding for public education comes from property taxes — not from state revenues. Pennsylvania ranks 43rd nationally for state share of funding, providing just 38% of K-12 costs.

Such a heavy reliance on local wealth means that taxpayers in low-wealth districts struggle to provide the resources that students in their communities need, even with high property tax rates.

The recent Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruling states “… the Court concludes that money does matter, and economically disadvantaged students and historically underperforming students can overcome challenges if they have access to the right resources that wealthier districts are financially able to provide.”

Our public school systems are not broken; our state funding system for public education is broken.

Instead of “reimagining” public education in Pennsylvania (code for privatizing schools and funneling public dollars into private pockets), Topper should go to Harrisburg and work to adequately and equitably fund our public schools so that all students will have the opportunity to attend a high-quality, public, neighborhood school that will allow them to thrive and succeed.

Cheryl Towers

Squirrel Hill