PITTSBURGH, March 8, 2011---Statement by Dr. Linda Lane, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools, on the release of the Commonwealth’s 2011-12 Budget by Governor Tom Corbett:

 

“Improving student achievement is incredibly hard work in urban areas like Pittsburgh. The state funding cuts to education, as proposed by the Governor, will severely hamper our ability to continue to make progress toward our shared goal of improving the life prospects of our students.

 

We are still reviewing the total impact, but our initial review of the Governor’s proposal shows cuts to Pittsburgh Public Schools in four main areas:

 

 

 

 

 

·         Elimination of the Accountability Block Grant          $ 5.4 million

·         Elimination of the Charter Reimbursement-                         $ 9.3 million

·         Eliminate Educational Assistance Program             $ 2.5 million

·         Reduction in Basic Education Funding-                   $16.9 million

 

The Pittsburgh Public Schools is the largest provider of early childhood education in Pittsburgh, serving over 2,500 children and employing over 300 people. Our data shows that children who participate in our Pre-K program are better prepared for school. Elimination of the District’s $5.4 million Accountability Block Grant funding means that many of our students will be left without any early childhood programming whatsoever. 

 

To offset losses to charter schools, the state has historically provided a reimbursement to Districts. Elimination of this reimbursement means a reduction of $9.3 million to Pittsburgh Public Schools. While we are not reflexively anti-charter in Pittsburgh, we must recognize the pain this will cause for our students who do not want to attend or who do not get accepted to a charter school.

 

The $2.5 million loss of state funding for the Education Assistance Program means elimination of the District’s K-12 afterschool program to support struggling students in reading and math. This program currently serves approximately 3,872 District students. 

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For the past five years Pittsburgh has been holding the line on expenditures by controlling costs. As enrollment declined, we have closed buildings and reduced staff and we have not raised taxes in over a decade. We are continually working to make our District more efficient. Reducing the Districts state education funding by $16.9 million, including loss of stimulus funding, will cause severe pain across this District.

 

In Pittsburgh, we have outlined a bold vision for reform that has begun to yield results in improving student achievement. However, it will be impossible to absorb a $34.1 million cut in state funding and expect that it will not have consequences for our students, for our schools and our communities. If the state passes the reductions in education funding as outlined by the Governor today, there is no doubt that Pittsburgh will face a myriad of difficult choices, including but not limited to, laying off teachers and staff, closing more neighborhood schools and even raising taxes.

 

I appreciate the difficult budget climate the Governor inherited, but solving the state’s problems the way the Governor has outlined simply means pushing the difficult decisions down to the local level. I intend to work with our leaders in Harrisburg in the coming weeks and months to help them fully appreciate the harsh consequences this budget proposal will have on the lives of our students.”

 

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