Riel Supports Funding Formula
By ANNE HOLLIDAY
WESB/WBRR News Director
Bradford Mayor Tom Riel joined dozens of other mayors from across the state in Harrisburg this morning to support Governor Ed Rendell's education funding plan.
Rendell’s proposed education budget calls for investing at least $2.6 billion over the next six years to make progress in closing school funding shortfalls identified in the General Assembly’s Costing-Out Report.
Released last year, the General Assembly’s Costing-Out Report shows that Pennsylvania’s schools need additional resources. Urban, rural and suburban municipal and school leaders who back the plan stressed the need for the state to adopt a predictable and adequate long-term funding formula. Riel said urban school districts get most of the attention, and he want to give the perspective from a rural school district.
"One hundred and twenty years ago, 80 percent of nation's oil was produced within 10 miles of Bradford, Pennsylvania," Riel said. "At this time in history I find that very interesting. We are home to the oldest oil refinery in the world but pay some of the highest prices for gas in the state of Pennsylvania."
"We have a median household far below the state average," Riel continued, "and like many urban communities, pay extremely high school taxes. A strong public school system is key to attracting economic development and professionals to our community. Increased school and property taxes can only be a detriment to already struggling rural communities like ours."
Riel said the costing-out report found a shortfall of $1,959 per pupil in the Bradford Area School District. This means a shortfall of almost $49,000 in every class of 25 children, he said.
"Such a gap makes it impossible to deliver the quality education to our students that they need to become successful," Riel said.
He said the governor's funding formula would invest $5.3 million in the Bradford Area School District by 2014. He said to generate that much money in that amount of time without help from the state, property taxes would have to be increased by 54 percent.
Riel said he believes "the general assembly has a moral and ethical obligation to work with and support Governor Rendell's efforts to invest additional state resources in public schools and lessen the burden on local property tax payers."
Katie Pude of the Bradford Area School District also attended today's news conference in Harrisburg.
WESB/WBRR News Director
Bradford Mayor Tom Riel joined dozens of other mayors from across the state in Harrisburg this morning to support Governor Ed Rendell's education funding plan.
Rendell’s proposed education budget calls for investing at least $2.6 billion over the next six years to make progress in closing school funding shortfalls identified in the General Assembly’s Costing-Out Report.
Released last year, the General Assembly’s Costing-Out Report shows that Pennsylvania’s schools need additional resources. Urban, rural and suburban municipal and school leaders who back the plan stressed the need for the state to adopt a predictable and adequate long-term funding formula. Riel said urban school districts get most of the attention, and he want to give the perspective from a rural school district.
"One hundred and twenty years ago, 80 percent of nation's oil was produced within 10 miles of Bradford, Pennsylvania," Riel said. "At this time in history I find that very interesting. We are home to the oldest oil refinery in the world but pay some of the highest prices for gas in the state of Pennsylvania."
"We have a median household far below the state average," Riel continued, "and like many urban communities, pay extremely high school taxes. A strong public school system is key to attracting economic development and professionals to our community. Increased school and property taxes can only be a detriment to already struggling rural communities like ours."
Riel said the costing-out report found a shortfall of $1,959 per pupil in the Bradford Area School District. This means a shortfall of almost $49,000 in every class of 25 children, he said.
"Such a gap makes it impossible to deliver the quality education to our students that they need to become successful," Riel said.
He said the governor's funding formula would invest $5.3 million in the Bradford Area School District by 2014. He said to generate that much money in that amount of time without help from the state, property taxes would have to be increased by 54 percent.
Riel said he believes "the general assembly has a moral and ethical obligation to work with and support Governor Rendell's efforts to invest additional state resources in public schools and lessen the burden on local property tax payers."
Katie Pude of the Bradford Area School District also attended today's news conference in Harrisburg.
.jpg)
Comments