In 2023, the Commonwealth Court ruled Pennsylvania's school funding system unconstitutional. While the legislature has taken first steps, Pennsylvania still has a $4 billion funding gap to fully comply with the court's order. Pennsylvania ranks among the bottom 10 states for state share of school funding, providing just 38% when the national average is 47%. That means property taxpayers carry far more of the burden here than in most of America.

House District 111 has eight school districts across Susquehanna and Wayne Counties. Our eight school districts paid a combined $12.4 million for the 2023-24 school year to charter schools. A staggering 96% of those funds went to cyber charter schools. A brick-and-mortar school district spends roughly $8,000-10,000 per student on actual instruction and operations. Cyber charters have no buildings, no buses, no cafeterias, and no gyms. Yet our districts pay $14,000-22,000 per cyber charter student. Cyber charter schools serve a purpose, but taxpayers shouldn't pay brick-and-mortar prices for online education.

If we kept this money working for kids in our own schools:

• Hire 150+ teachers at $50,000/year with benefits

• Provide full-day kindergarten in every district

• Hire school counselors, nurses, and support staff to address mental health

• Fix leaky roofs, upgrade HVAC systems, and improve school safety

• Reduce class sizes so teachers can give individual attention

• Expand career and technical programs to prepare students for good jobs

We could lower property taxes while still improving our schools if the state funded education adequately AND reformed cyber charter payments!

I have emailed all eight of our superintendents to ask them to confirm these numbers and to let me know what their schools could have done with the money spent on cyber charters. I will update this page with their feedback.

Our Schools Are Major Employers

In Susquehanna County's Top 50 Employers:

• #3: Montrose Area School District

• #5: Elk Lake School District

• #7: Mountain View School District

• #8: Forest City Regional School District

• #9: Susquehanna Community School District

• #31: Blue Ridge School District

• #35: Susquehanna County Career & Tech Center

In Wayne County's Top 50 Employers:

• #5: Wayne Highlands School District

• #8: Western Wayne School District

• #37: Wallenpaupack Area School District

Underfunding our schools weakens our entire economy. When we underfund schools, we:

• Force layoffs and hiring freezes

• Reduce middle-class jobs in our communities

• Weaken the economic stability of our region

• Discourage families from moving to our region

As your State Representative, I will:

• Vote to fully fund public education according to the constitutional requirement

• Support cyber charter reform to stop the taxpayer ripoff

• Demand transparency in how every education dollar is spent

• Oppose all corporate PAC money because I work for you, not special interests