Attorney General Files Suit Against PA Public School Funding System

Attorney General files amicus brief supporting watershed lawsuit challenging Pennsylvania’s public school funding system.

Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro joined four Deputy Attorneys General in filing an amicus brief today. The lawsuit alleges Pennsylvania’s state school funding system failed to “provide all children with a high-quality education that prepares them for career and civic life.” Arguing that the Education Clause in the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the state to provide high-quality public education.

According to the Education Clause, The General Assembly shall provide for the maintenance and support of a thorough and efficient system of public education to serve the needs of the Commonwealth.

“Every child in our Commonwealth should have access to a high-quality education and safe learning environment regardless of their zip code. Many Pennsylvania schools are not able to provide the level of education required by the Constitution—not for lack of trying, but for lack of funding. I commend the tireless efforts of dedicated teachers and administrators who have struggled for years to do the most for our children with the least amount of resources. It is past time for the General Assembly to step up, comply with its constitutional obligations, and give our public schools the funding they need to educate our children. The Court’s decision may determine the course of public education in Pennsylvania for generations to come, and our brief makes clear to the Court what is at stake.”

According to the Attorney General’s website, “The brief further argues that the General Assembly is failing to meet its constitutional obligations. The brief argues that the Court must look both at the resources going into Pennsylvania’s public schools and at whether our children are actually learning and graduating ready for career and civil life. The evidence shows that Pennsylvania public schools are lacking on both accounts, notwithstanding the best efforts of teachers and administrators. As a result, the General Assembly is not providing for a “thorough and efficient” public education system.”

Read the full brief at https://www.attorneygeneral.gov/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/2022-05-17-William-Penn-v.-PDE-Shapiro-Amicus-Brief.pdf.

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