Harrisburg Patriot News: High Stakes Trial Over Pa.’s ‘Inadequate’ Public School Funding Set To Kick Off In Commonwealth Court

A seven-year lawsuit brought by six Pennsylvania school districts, the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, and the NAACP’s Pennsylvania State Conference against the state over the public school funding system is headed for Commonwealth Court. The plaintiffs contend that Pennsylvania faces a US$4.6 billion public school funding shortfall, ranking it 45th among all states. The plaintiffs also claim that Pennsylvania supplies 37% of the state’s public school funding compared to the national average of 47%. This has put low-income school districts at a significant disadvantage because they are not able to provide their students with a substantial 21st century education. O’Melveny & Myers LLP, the Education Law Center, and the Public Interest Law Center represent the plaintiffs.

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