Education Budget

Summary of State Appropriations for Education

The following file contains a summary of the funding levels for the state education appropriations included in Governor Wolf’s 2019-20 proposed budget.

2019-2020 Proposed Summary of State Education Appropriations (Excel)

Basic Education Funding

Governor Wolf’s proposed budget includes $6,537,078,000 for the 2019-20 Basic Education Funding appropriation. This amount is a $200,000,000 increase (3.28 percent) over the 2018-19 appropriation. In addition, the proposed 2019-20 Basic Education Funding appropriation also includes $241,999,000 previously appropriated as Ready to Learn Block Grant.

New dollars after the 2014-2015 fiscal year, totaling approximately $704,800,000, will be distributed based on the formula recommended by the Basic Education Funding Commission and enacted by the General Assembly in Act 35 of 2016.

2019-2020 Proposed Basic Education Funding (Excel) Updated Footnote

2018-2019 Estimated Basic Education Funding (Excel)

Special Education Funding

Governor Wolf’s proposed budget includes $1,186,815,000 for the 2019-20 Special Education appropriation. This amount is a $50,000,000 increase (4.4 percent) over the 2018-19 appropriation.

For the Special Education Funding component, new dollars after the 2013-2014 fiscal year, totaling approximately $149,316,500, will be distributed based on categories of support for students with disabilities.

2019-2020 Proposed Special Education Funding (Excel)

2018-2019 Estimated Special Education Funding (Excel)

The 2019-20 Special Education appropriation also includes funding of approximately $89,000,000 for the following components: Special Education Contingency Fund, Core Services funding to Intermediate Units, Institutionalized Children's Program funding, special education for wards of state students and special education for students placed out of state.

Ready to Learn Block Grant

Governor Wolf’s proposed budget includes $8,001,000 for the Ready to Learn Block Grant. These funds represent the charter school portion of the 2018-19 appropriation.

The $241,999,000 previously appropriated as Ready to Learn Block Grant funding for school districts is included in the 2019-20 Basic Education Funding appropriation.

2019-2020 Proposed Ready to Learn Block Grant (Excel)

Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy

The 2019-20 enacted budget includes approximately $59,639,000 for the Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy.

Narrative description and proposed allocation