Eighteenth International Conference on New Directions in the Humanities

Abstract

This study investigates the levels of education funding within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania (US) and demonstrates the neglect of poor, minority school districts by state lawmakers. This paper begins by describing a failed school funding model. Data is provided along with a review of the literature and local reports. The literature reveals a strong correlation between poor school districts and the assessed property value of homes within the district. For years, state funding has decreased, forcing local “governmentalities” to raise property taxes in order to fund education. Poor families and senior citizens who cannot afford tax increases on their property have suffered. This research suggests that educational funding and resources for students should not be determined by the assessed property value in a school district. Lawmakers have a responsibility to provide a thorough and efficient education to all of the students in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, not just the sons and daughters of their district constituents. The findings of this study challenge the argument that property taxes are the only reliable source of funding for schools. This reliance on property taxes as the primary source of funding for schools has produced an incredible amount of inequity among the 500 school districts within the Commonwealth. Alternative funding sources and new directions are discussed. Education is a human right. If funding inequities are addressed, then future generations will succeed, no matter which school district they were born into.