FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Thursday, October 5, 2023
**MEDIA RELEASE**
AFT PENNSYLVANIA STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF SCHOOL CODE BILL
Plymouth Meeting, PA–Arthur Steinberg, President of AFT Pennsylvania, issued the following statement on behalf of the union representing more than 36,000 educators, paraprofessionals, school staff, higher education faculty, and state workers upon passage of PA House Bill 27, the school code for FY23-24, which increases the Educational Improvement Tax Credit (EITC) and Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit (OSTC) programs by a combined $150 million to a total of $555 million.
"This year's Pennsylvania school code, as passed by the House, is extremely disappointing.
"The ongoing effort to divert tax dollars away from transparently administered traditional public schools is supported primarily by the wealthy individuals and corporations who receive tax breaks from these programs and those who benefit from the lack of accountability provided by private and for-profit institutions.
"While already-well-off families, wealthy individuals, and corporations make out well in this school code, notably absent are investments in our future: no additional funding provided for Level Up and no funding for school facilities improvements.
"Our union will continue to oppose the siphoning of money from public schools into the pockets of wealthy individuals, corporations, and special interests, and we implore our elected officials to fulfill their Constitutional duty to fully and fairly fund our schools."
###
|
