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Pennsylvania's Costing-Out Study

The price of success? Finally, an answer.

After years of theories, guesses and estimates, Pennsylvanians finally have an answer to the question of what it takes to provide a high quality education to every student, as the State Board of Education unveiled the results of a statewide costing-out study on Pennsylvania's education system on November 14, 2007. The costing-out analysis revealed that $11,926 is the average level of funding required to ensure that every student reaches state standards of achievement. Additionally, the study identified the multipliers needed to calculate the foundation levels for students in poverty, English language learners and those with special needs.

Press release: Click here to read a press release from the Pennsylvania Education Funding Reform Campaign applauding the costing-out study and calling upon lawmakers to use the results as an opportunity to craft a new funding formula.
What's Wrong: A fact sheet on the problems plaguing Pennsylvania's current funding system for public education.
Costing-Out Study Summary: A summary of Pennsylvania's costing-out study, including background, methodologies and key findings.
Pennsylvania's Costing-Out Study: A link to the costing-out study on the State Board of Education's website.
State Board of Education: A link to the costing-out study that was released on November 14, 2007, and a summary of the study presented by the State Board of Education.
House Resolution 460: Read the proposal introduced by State Representatives John Siptroth and Beverly Mackereth to create a Joint Legislative Commission on Public School Finance to move the costing-out study forward.
Making the Case for a Joint Legislative Commission on Public School Finance: Read this fact sheet about the benefits of creating a joint commission to make the costing-out study count.
Recent Press: Read what newspapers around the state are saying about the costing-out study.
Funding's Impact on Schools, Students and Communities: A fact sheet on ways that funding is important to students, schools and communities.
The Public Benefit of Public Education: A fact sheet on the social and economic impact of quality education.
Comparative School District Data: View school district data for all 501 school districts in Pennsylvania, including spending per pupil, property tax rates, percentage of low income students and other important statistics.
A Tale of Two Schools: A graph depicting the vast disparities in local tax effort in Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Education Funding Reform Campaign: A description of the campaign to achieve fair funding and educational opportunity in Pennsylvania.
Statement of Principles: Click here to download a statement of principles from the Pennsylvania Education Funding Reform Campaign and to endorse our work.
Moving Forward: Here are some suggestions for how you can take action in support of education funding reform.

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