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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Tony Payton
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Payton reacts to passage of state budget
HARRISBURG, July 4 – State Rep. Tony Payton, D-Phila., made the following comments regarding the Pennsylvania legislature’s approval of a no-tax-increase, $28.2 billion state budget package:
On education:
"I have made education the corner stone of my legislative agenda here in Harrisburg, because I believe adequately funding education is one of the most valuable investments we can make. It reduces crime, encourages creativity, energizes the economy and improves quality of life in general.
"Funding will now be tailored to the unique needs of each school district and specific performance standards will be set for our education system. In a school district as complex and large as Philadelphia, that will be a great help to schools like Franklin Smedley Elementary and Allen M. Stearne Elementary. This budget shows that Pennsylvania is serious about making our children a top priority.
"I'm disappointed that my proposal to increase subsidized child care by $9 million did not make it into the agreement. I believe it would have helped more people get off welfare and back into the job market, without incurring high day care bills that chew up a large portion of their earnings. I hope to bring more attention to issues like this in the future so we can give children a solid foundation to grow from in their early years and also support low-income working families. There are a lot of people on that waiting list who need help with child care."
The Philadelphia School District is set to receive: $932 million in basic education funding, an increase of 6 percent; $126 million in special education funding, an increase of 2 percent.
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l:'print'releases' Payton budget
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