State budget briefing: Representative Fleming outlines proposed education funding, cyber-charter cap and local impacts for Susquehanna Township

Representative Fleming, a member of the Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee, gave the Susquehanna Township School Board a 40‑minute briefing on the governor’s proposed 2025 state budget and what it would mean for the district.

Fleming said Gov. Josh Shapiro’s proposed state‑only budget totals about $51.47 billion and that roughly half of the commonwealth’s operating revenue is federal. He told the board the proposal would use part of the budget stabilization fund to close a roughly $1.6 billion state shortfall and cited proposed increases for education and human services. “The governor’s proposed budget is $51,470,000,000 — now this is a state spend only,” Fleming said.

He highlighted several education line items he said are in the proposal: a $75 million increase in basic education funding, about $526 million in Ready to Learn Block Grant funding (including new equity formula dollars), a $40 million increase in special education funding statewide, and a proposal to cap cyber‑charter tuition at $8,000 per student. Fleming said a statewide $8,000 cap on cyber tuition could save school districts about $378 million annually.

Why it matters: Fleming gave district‑level estimates so the board and community could compare state proposals with local needs. He said the Ready to Learn increase is tied to a court‑ordered equity/adequacy process that aims to close long‑standing funding gaps.

Local numbers Fleming provided: he said the district’s 2025 proposed basic education allocation would be about $6,694,985 and proposed special education funding about $2,088,586. He said the adequacy gap remedy for Susquehanna Township was found to be large and that the district’s 2025 installment from the adequacy gap was $11,287,981; he said the next installment was about $1,288,012. Fleming also estimated Susquehanna Township’s share of cyber‑tuition savings if an $8,000 cap passes: the district’s 2024 cyber charter transition supplement was $302,105; with the cap Fleming estimated the district’s gross reduction in cyber costs could be $1,172,616 and a net savings of roughly $870,512.

He cited an Auditor General report (Tim DeFoor) that found several high‑level concerns at Pennsylvania cyber charter schools, including rapid revenue growth, unusually large reserves and questionable spending practices, and questioned why online schools acquire physical real estate.

Board and staff questions focused on the mechanics and timing of legislation. Fleming said cyber‑charter reform will likely be negotiated as part of the state budget package and could be placed in the Public School Code or related budget bills; he urged superintendents and community members to contact state senators and representatives. Fleming also told the board that Ready to Learn funds included new equity dollars aimed at closing a decades‑old funding gap identified by Commonwealth courts.

Discussion only: Fleming’s presentation was informational; no board action on these state proposals occurred at the meeting. He invited district staff to request letters of support for state or commonwealth capital‑funding programs and said his office can assist with outreach on capital grants and other state programs.

Ending: Fleming concluded by urging district leaders and residents to contact federal and state elected officials about proposed changes — particularly about uncertain federal funding streams such as SNAP and federal education programs — and to coordinate through regional groups and intermediate units for consistent messaging.