
PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Gov. Tom Wolf is urging Republican legislative leaders to adopt his proposed $1.8 billion increase in education funding.
Speaking Friday afternoon at Philadelphia’s Lingelbach Elementary School in Germantown, Wolf said the state now has nearly $3 billion in its rainy day fund, with a surplus between $7 billion and $8 billion largely based on unspent federal pandemic aid.
“The other side keeps saying, as they did back in 2010, 2011, 2012, that we don’t have the money,” said Wolf. “Well, we do have the money.”
Wolf added education should be the state’s priority.
“You cannot have a strong and healthy state, fiscally or any other way, if you stiff education,” Wolf said.
In 2021-22, the state spent about $14 billion on education as part of a total $38.5 billion budget.
Education advocates say more dollars are needed, especially to support students in low-income school districts. A court case trying to force the state to spend more on schools is awaiting a decision by a Commonwealth Court judge.
Wolf, who has prioritized education funding since taking office in 2015, says he isn’t planning to budge on this year’s proposal.
“People are saying, ‘This is budget time. You’re starting to negotiate. What’s the least you’ll accept?’” Wolf said. “My answer is, ‘I want it all.’”
In a statement to KYW Newsradio last week, House Speaker Bryan Cutler said he “looked forward to working with the governor and the Senate on targeted, responsible education investments.”
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