Dear Neighbor,
Pennsylvania finally has a new state budget, after Governor Josh Shapiro signed the bipartisan budget bills yesterday afternoon in Harrisburg. The budget is not perfect, but it reflects values I talk about often: Common sense, fairness, and giving more Pennsylvania families a real shot at the American Dream. It does not raise taxes and helps working families at a time when costs keep rising.
Major Wins for Schools
This budget invests nearly $600 million in public schools across the commonwealth so that every kid in every school has the resources they need to learn and thrive. It also includes $125 million to fix damage from toxins like lead, mold and asbestos in our public school buildings — paid for by cutting $178 million in wasteful cyber charter spending and reinvesting those savings back into our classrooms.
Philadelphia is receiving nearly $200 million more for our public schools this year. Since I took office, our Democratic majority has secured roughly $450 million in additional funding for Philly schools— and the savings from the cyber charter reform means the city will get to keep around $50 million in state funds. We remain committed to closing the city’s nearly $1 billion adequacy gap over the next seven years so we can finally fairly fund all PA schools!!
Putting Money Back in Your Pocket
The new Working Pennsylvanians Tax Credit is a BIG DEAL. It puts real money back into the pockets of working families every year.
- Average benefit: about $300
- Maximum benefit: around $780
- Nearly 1 million Pennsylvanians will qualify
For working families that means real help with groceries, rent, child care, or gas. That’s real money that will help families dealing with rising costs. If your family currently qualifies for the federal EITC, you will also qualify for the Working Pennsylvania Tax Credit!
