Jun. 20, 2018
HARRISBURG—Rep. Warren Kampf (Montgomery/Chester) supports a bipartisan majority of the House to pass a budget agreement that will increase funding to schools without raising taxes and create a new safe schools initiative.
“In 2015, Gov. Tom Wolf argued for higher taxes as a way to close a $2 billion deficit,” said Kampf, who serves on the House Appropriations Committee. “I believed there was a better way and rejected hikes to the income tax and an expansion of the sales tax. Today, we are seeing the fruits of that decision. The deficit is gone, and our surplus will allow us to increase funds for important programs while depositing money into the Rainy Day Fund.”
The 2018-19 budget sets a record high $12.3 billion for PreK-12 education. It increases Basic Education Funding through the Fair Funding Formula by $100 million to $6.095 billion. It also increases early childhood education funding (Pre-K Counts and Head Start) by $25 million to $251.5 million, and Special Education Funding by $15 million to $1.14 billion.
The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District would receive $19 million, a 6.5 percent increase; the Phoenixville School District would receive $14 million; a 5.5 percent increase; and the Spring-Ford School District would receive $26 million, a 5.2 percent increase.
“I’m proud to say that since joining the House in 2011, state education spending for PreK-12 has increased by $3.4 billion, or 38 percent,” Kampf said.
The budget contributes $2.5 billion to the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System (PSERS) to reduce the pressure on our pension system.
The 2018-19 budget spends a total of $32.7 billion, a 1.7 percent increase over the current year, which is well below the 2.13 rate of inflation.
The budget includes a new, $60 million initiative to ensure Pennsylvania’s children are in a safe learning environment. The block grant program to be distributed to schools throughout the Commonwealth can be used for things such as school resource officers, metal detectors, school safety assessments and preplanning, and other upgrades to ensure a safe learning environment.
In addition, the budget includes a 3 percent increase for Pennsylvania’s state-related universities and the State System of Higher Education will receive a 3.3 percent increase. Community Colleges and Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology will also see an increase of 3 percent.
“Career and technical education is essential to a trained workforce that can respond to the needs of today’s economy. This budget commits an additional $30 million for career and technical education so that our citizens have the opportunity to prepare for family-sustaining jobs,” said Kampf.
This budget will allow the Pennsylvania State Police to train three new cadet classes, which will add an additional 285 troopers to protect communities throughout the state.
The budget also includes money to take care of those with intellectual disabilities, allowing services for an additional 965 people to be served; and funds for evidence-based home visiting services to 800 families affected by the opioid epidemic.
“By avoiding broad-based tax increases, we’ve allowed the economy to grow and jobs to expand,” Kampf said. “This is a blueprint on how to manage taxpayer’s dollars responsibly.”
Representative Warren Kampf
157th District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
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