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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Pat Harkins |
  
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Harkins’ budget education bill sent to full House
Bill continues school district reimbursements for charter students
HARRISBURG, June 11 – Legislation introduced by state Rep. Pat Harkins that would ensure the state’s public school districts are reimbursed for charter school tuition costs in 2008-09, as they have been in previous years, was unanimously approved today by the House Education Committee.
Under Harkins’ bill (H.B. 2479), public school districts would be reimbursed 30 percent of the cost of enrollment for children to attend charter and cyber charter schools. Harkins said the bill also would continue to reimburse school districts at a 32 percent rate when those districts spend more than $1 million annually on charter school tuition, or have a higher concentration of charter school enrollment.
"This bill is an important education funding component of the budget because it will ensure that our school districts are reimbursed for charter school enrollment," Harkins said. "Any student can attend the charter or cyber charter school of their choice within the state. Footing the bill for students who attend these schools can eat into school district budgets, so this state reimbursement is important."
Tuition for children enrolled in charter schools is covered by the public school district where the child resides. Children from any of the state’s 501 school districts can enroll in any of the 117 charter and cyber charter schools currently operating in Pennsylvania.
Harkins said Erie’s 13 school districts received a total of $3.2 million in reimbursements for the 2007-08 school year. Three charter schools operate in Erie County: Montessori Regional Charter School, Perseus House Charter School of Excellence, and Robert Benjamin Wiley Community Charter School.
Harkins' bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
Other education funding bills that are part of the 2008-09 budget include measures that would provide a $291.3 million increase in basic education funding as part of a six-year, $2.6 billion plan to increase state funding for basic education; provide a $12.6 million increase for Pre-K Counts in 2008-09 to give 12,000 more children a jumpstart on their education; invest $90 million for laptop technology and teacher training through the Classrooms for the Future program; allow juniors and seniors to take college-level courses for credit while still in high school with $12 million for the Dual Enrollment program; maintain the state's $275 million investment in early childhood education programs; and provide $236 million for Pennsylvania's community colleges, which would include a $6.9 million increase and $44.5 million to help fund construction and facility investments.
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