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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Dante Santoni |
  
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School funding and energy highlight state budget
HARRISBURG, July 4 – The state General Assembly today approved Pennsylvania's 2008-09 fiscal year budget, which includes double-digit increases for many Berks County schools and a strategy to invest in alternative energy and fuel sources, according to state Rep. Dante Santoni, D-Berks.
Santoni said the $28.2 billion budget comes in below the 4.2 percent national rate of inflation and does not raise taxes. The state also used a new funding formula in the education budget to help move schools closer to adequacy in student spending.
"This legislature has wrangled with education funding for years, and a formula that levels the playing field for schools is something I've been fighting for on behalf of the schools I represent," Santoni said. "This year's formula gets us closer to addressing the adequacy issue as outlined in the recent 'costing-out' study for public education."
The "costing-out" study released in November called for more adequate funding of public schools. The report said the state underfunds schools by about $4.38 billion.
The majority of school districts in Santoni's legislative district will see double-digit increases based on the new formula, including Muhlenberg (20.8 percent), Reading (17.9 percent) and Antietam (14.8 percent). Exeter Township will see a 7.5 percent increase and Oley Valley will get 3 percent, as it is closest to what is considered adequacy.
Santoni said the education boost from the state compliments the property tax cuts Berks homeowners are receiving this summer from the slot-gaming Property Tax Relief Fund.
"It is exciting to see this first distribution of revenue from gaming proceeds going to homeowners, along with a school funding formula that begins to address the needs of schools and local taxpayers," Santoni said. "Slot-derived tax relief will only get better as slot gaming sites continue to draw in money."
According to Santoni, a new state energy policy that incentivizes the use of alternative fuels like cellulosic ethanol (switchgrass) and biodiesel fuels, and alternative energy sources like solar, wind and geothermal power also will become law. When the state reaches 350 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol produced in-state, 10 percent of every gallon of gasoline sold will have to be made from Pennsylvania switchgrass, which yields more energy than corn and does not displace food crops.
"Home-based fuel and energy production will reduce our dependence on foreign fuels, help consumers reduce their electricity bills, assist farmers and promote job creation and innovation," Santoni said. "It is truly a win-win, and an opportunity for Pennsylvania to lead the nation on energy policy."
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