Massive boost in state education funding is not much help to Franklin Regional

Pennsylvania’s 2021-22 education budget includes the largest funding increase for public education in the state’s history, some $416 million.

That is little consolation to Franklin Regional school officials, however, who found themselves again raising taxes to the state’s Act 1-mandated limit for the coming year, or risk cutting programs and/or staff.

While the state’s overall Basic Education Funding appropriation increased by 4%, Franklin Regional’s share of the hike is a little more than $110,000, or 1.5%.

Roughly $200 million will be distributed using the state’s Fair Funding Formula. An additional $100 million was earmarked for “schools with at-risk populations of students,” according to district Finance Director Jon Perry.

“Franklin Regional’s Basic Education Funding increase doesn’t even cover the increased PSERS costs for the fiscal year,” Perry said, referring to the district’s annual contribution to the state’s education pension fund, which is currently being investigated by the FBI.

In addition, while state special-education funding got a 4.2% boost, FR’s share is just under $38,000, about 2%, according to Perry.

“This increase wouldn’t even cover the cost of one additional student requiring an outside placement to meet his or her special needs,” Perry said.

Most Westmoreland County school districts are seeing a boost of between 1.5 and 3%, with a few outliers (Derry is at the low end, 0.47%, and New Kensington Arnold is a the high end, 6.53%).

With the exception of the Quaker Valley School District in Allegheny County, the 10 districts with the largest percentage increase are all toward the eastern side of the state.

“Honestly, with the exception of a couple districts, it actually hurts most of Westmoreland County in general,” Franklin Regional Superintendent Gennaro Piraino said. “This is one of the largest increases in education funding in the history of Pennsylvania, and FR sees only a little more $100,000 of new Basic Education money.”

Of the $63.6 million in spending included in FR’s 2021-’22 budget, about $7.25 million comes from the state’s Basic Education Funding.

A Commonwealth Court lawsuit seeking to reform the state’s public school funding is set to go to trial this fall. Perry said the district could stand to lose up to the equivalent of 8 mills in revenue depending on the lawsuit’s outcome.