Experts tell House panel adequacy investments show promise but $4.8 billion gap remains; benefits accrue over years
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Summary
An attorney for the Public Interest Law Center and university researchers told the House Education Committee court evidence and recent analyses indicate Pennsylvania underfunded its schools by roughly $4.8 billion; experts said targeted, sustained funding and investments in staffing and supports produce the best long‑term student and economic returns.
An attorney who represented plaintiffs in the school funding litigation told the House Education Committee that the court found Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutional and that the legislature’s adequacy formula estimated a $4.8 billion gap that the Commonwealth must fill to provide equivalent educational opportunity across districts.
"The court found the system was unconstitutional," the speaker said, and the legislature responded by creating an adequacy formula (SB 700) that quantified a multi‑billion‑dollar underfunding. The witness and subsequent speakers said the funds districts have received so far are producing examples of improvements — hiring English‑learner teachers, restoring art and STEM programs, and creating intervention teams — but that substantial unmet need remains in many districts.
Brooks Bowden, an economist who studies returns to education, presented research indicating that increasing funding and improving school inputs (teacher pay, counselor and instructional staffing) generate measurable long‑term returns. In his testimony he said an additional high school graduate produces large social and economic benefits (his testimony phrased the figure as ‘‘about a half $1,000,000 to society’’) and that other states realized the greatest gains when funding was fully phased in and sustained.
Bowden and other witnesses emphasized timing: many benefits from adequacy investments accrue over multiple years and often appear strongest for cohorts that experience improved school quality throughout their schooling. Bowden said the available evidence shows returns that can exceed the cost of proposed investments when fully implemented.
Representatives raised fiscal trade‑offs and where additional funding should come from. Witnesses urged data‑driven accountability, transparency on how adequacy dollars are spent (the Ready to Learn grant reporting process was cited), and partnerships between employers and schools to align curricula with workforce needs. The Pennsylvania Chamber representative urged continued use of data and suggested expanding career exposure, internships and apprenticeships.
Lawmakers did not vote on legislation at the hearing. Several members said they want follow‑up analyses on how adequacy dollars were allocated and whether regulatory guidance for the Ready to Learn Block Grant is producing the intended investments in staff and instruction.