by KYW's Steve Tawa
Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell visited Ridley High School in Folsom (Delaware County) on Thursday, to push for increased state education funding.
The new state budget formula is based on figures from a costing-out study released by the General Assembly that specifies adequate funding targets for every school district in the Commonwealth.
Gov. Rendell wants to increase the main state source of public school funding by $2.6 billion over six years:
"Starting with $291 million this year."
Rendell says it will reduce the pressure on local property tax increases to pay for school funding:
"This will hold down property taxes, but most importantly it will improve educational outcomes."
He acknowledges that some state lawmakers don't want to get tied into a multi-year funding plan. But unlike neighboring states New Jersey, New York, and Ohio, all of which are facing multiple-billion dollar deficits, Pennsylvania is the only big state with a surplus:
"If we are facing a deficit in any year, the phase-in gets frozen. It doesn't go in that year."
The legislature has until June 30th to act on his proposed state budget.
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