House Passes Budget that Increases Education, Infrastructure Funding Without Raising Taxes
HARRISBURG—Rep. Todd Stephens (R-Montgomery) joined a bipartisan majority in the House to pass a budget that increases funds for education, and adds money to the state’s Rainy Day Fund, all without raising taxes.
“This budget responsibly handles taxpayers’ dollars by avoiding tax hikes and setting money aside to prevent tax hikes in the future,” Stephens said.
The $39.78 billion budget will also deposit $2.52 billion into the Rainy Day Fund, growing it to an historic $2.76 billion. The budget also preserves more than $5 billion of federal relief funds to be used in future budgets.
At the same time, the budget sets a record high $13.55 billion for PreK-12 education, increasing:
• Basic Education Funding by $300 million to $7.067 billion.
• Early childhood education funding (Pre-K Counts and Head Start) by $30 million to $311.5 million.
• Special Education Funding by $50 million to $1.24 billion.
Locally, each of the four school districts in the 151st District will receive a funding increase:
• Wissahickon will now receive $3 million.
• North Penn will now receive $11.6 million.
• Hatboro-Horsham will now receive $5.5 million.
• Upper Dublin will now receive $3.1 million.
To support children who have suffered educational losses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the budget allocates $350 million in federal relief funds for learning loss, summer enrichment and after school programs. The budget also allocated $44 million of federal relief funds for career and technical schools.
To help students seeking alternatives to high school and higher education, the budget also dedicates $7 million to the career and technical education line item and $3 million to the equipment grants line item.
To support critical road and bridge projects, and to make up losses to the Motor License Fund caused by the pandemic, the budget allocates $279 million in federal relief funds for transportation infrastructure.
Representative Todd Stephens
151st District
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Media Contact: David Foster
267.207.0207
dfoster@pahousegop.com
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