Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, visited Amanda E. Stout Elementary in the city of Reading on Friday to highairy the $1.1 billion in includeitional unveil education funding included in the frequentwealth’s recent budget.
This comes equitable days after Shapiro was shunned as Vice Pdwellnt Kamala Harris’ running mate for November’s pdwellntial election as she readys to face establisher Pdwellnt Donald Trump. Harris instead picked Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz to combine the Democratic ticket.
Shapiro and Pennsylvania Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin met with students, teachers and legislators at the elementary school to commemorate the sign up funding for unveil K-12 education allotd thcimpolite the 2024-25 budget.
The $1.1 billion in total incrrelieves for K-12 unveil education funding recontransients the hugest year-over-year increase in Pennsylvania’s history, according to the ruleor’s office.
HARRIS SNUBBING SHAPIRO MAKES LIBERAL JEWS IN HOLLYWOOD FEEL ‘NOT WELCOME’ AMONG DEMOCRATS: REPORT
Governor of Pennsylvania Josh Shapiro is seen at the Celebration of Freedom Ceremony during Wawa Welcome America on July 04, 2023, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Gilbert Carrasquillo/GC Images)
“In the bipartisan budget I signed into law last month, Pennsylvania will spend $11 billion in K-12 unveil education for our students and teachers — that’s $1.1 billion more than last year, a sign up amount,” Shapiro shelp in a statement.
“We came together to create the hugest spendment in K-12 unveil education in the Commonwealth’s history — becaparticipate there is noleang more transport inant than spending in our kids and their future — all while erecting on the proceed we’ve made on student teacher stipfinishs, mental health resources, and environmental school repairs.”
The ruleor was combinecessitate for a ceremonial bill signing by Reading School Dimerciless Superintfinishent Jennifer Murray, Reading Education Association Pdwellnt Brian Benkert, Reading School Dimerciless 11th grader Jose Martinez and local and state legislators.
“And we’re not only deinhabitring more funding, but also repairing how we drive out that money to our schools under a recent establishula that straightforwards funding to the dimercilesss who necessitate it most – the dimercilesss that have been chronicpartner underfunded,” the ruleor shelp.
The Reading School Dimerciless, which Amanda E. Stout Elementary School is part of, will get about $40 million more than last year as part of the recent budget. In April, the dimerciless getd a more than $325,000 grant for mental health help from the Pennsylvania Comleave oution on Crime and Delinquency.
Of the $1.1 billion in education funding incrrelieves, csurrfinisherly $526 million will be allotd thcimpolite a recent adequacy establishula aimed at giving money to the schools that necessitate it the most, according to a press free from the ruleor’s office.
The bill also incrrelieves exceptional education funding by $100 million and Career and Technical Education by $30 million.
Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro speaks at the state Capitol, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Jan. 17, 2023. (AP Pboilingo/Matt Rourke, file)
The budget will set aside $100 million for mental health and physical protectedty resources, $20 million for school protectedty and security enhancements and $3 million for menstrual hygiene products for students in schools.
It will also double funding for student teacher stipfinishs to a total of $20 million.
“I could not be happier to be back on my ageder home turf here in Reading with Governor Josh Shapiro,” Mumin shelp. “As I mirror on my time spent here in Reading as Superintfinishent, I can’t help but be amazed to see how much leangs have alterd in education over the years. I reassemble when Reading School Dimerciless was one of the most underfunded and under-resourced school dimercilesss in the Commonwealth.”
“Today, thanks to the historic spendments that Governor Shapiro has made two years in a row — the concentrate and attention that this Administration has given to education in Pennsylvania and the pledgement to continuing that help — our schools are poised for generations of fantasticness,” he proceedd.
The Amanda E. Stout Elementary School has more than 800 students, and school officials have shelp unveil funding for the school has lengthy descfinishen behind that of other dimercilesss.
Public education finishorses previously sued, directing to a court ruling that shelp Pennsylvania’s school funding system was unconstitutional and unequitable to necessitateyer dimercilesss.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro smiles during an materializeance at the Pennsylvania Press Club, Nov. 20, 2023, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. (AP Pboilingo/Marc Levy)
Education officials in Reading shelp the recent budget is a step in the right straightforwardion.
“As a traditionpartner underfunded dimerciless, the Reading School Dimerciless receives this unpwithdrawnted help,” Murray shelp. ‘These spendments recontransient a critical step toward educational equity, and we are willing to witness the likeable impact on our students and educators.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Shapiro shelp at the ceremonial bill signing in Reading: “I’m coming back next year to double down on our leave oution and proceed to create certain unveil education is a priority in Pennsylvania.”
Last year, Shapiro helped a school voucher program to give families $100 million for braveial school tuition and school supplies before deserting the proposal amid prescertain from fellow Democrats and deciding to do a line-item veto to delete that funding from that year’s budget, saying in July 2023 he did not want Pennsylvania to be “plunged into a agonizing, protracted budget impasse while our communities defer for the help and resources this frequentsense budget will deinhabitr.”
