Governor Shapiro’s first budget makes commonsense investments in Pennsylvanians

• Largest increase in basic education funding ever and historic investments in our schools.

  This budget makes historic investments in K-12 public schools, including the largest increase in basic education funding (BEF) in Pennsylvania history and universal free breakfast for our public school students. Thanks to this budget, Pennsylvania will spend over $10 billion on K-12 public education funding. This budget includes:

   

  ⏺ $567 million increase in basic education funding for Pennsylvania school districts to be distributed through the Basic Education Funding (BEF) Formula, enabling all school districts to have the basic resources they need to provide a high-quality education for Pennsylvania students. This is the largest BEF increase in history.

  ⏺ $100 million for school-based mental health counselors and resources for students.

  ⏺ $100 million for Level Up to ensure more resources go to Pennsylvania’s most underfunded schools.

  ⏺ $50 million increase in special education funding, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to equitable education for all students.

  ⏺ A $46.5 million increase in funding to provide universal free breakfast to Pennsylvania’s 1.7 million public school students regardless of income and free lunch to all 22,000 Pennsylvania students who are eligible for reduced-price lunches through the National School Lunch Program.

  ⏺ $10 million to provide Pennsylvania’s student teachers with stipends so the Commonwealth can get more well-trained teachers into our classrooms.

  ⏺ $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities for high school students students allowing high school students to take advanced courses for college credit and chart their own course. 

• Historic investments in community and economic development.

  This budget spurs job creation, fosters innovation, and provides the funding to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale. This budget also invests in communities across the Commonwealth, improving state parks, supporting historically disadvantaged businesses, and helping Pennsylvanians maintain safe, healthy homes. This budget includes:

   

  ⏺ $112 million to improve our parks and forests and create a new Office of Outdoor Recreation to help connect our natural resources and parks with local businesses and put Pennsylvania on the map as a leader in outdoor recreation.

  ⏺ A $50 million investment in the Whole-Home Repairs program to take the burden off the shoulders of those living paycheck to paycheck while ensuring they can afford to maintain their homes.

  ⏺ A $20 million investment to fund the Historically Disadvantaged Business Program to invest in small minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses in the Commonwealth and provide sustainable support.

  ⏺ A $13 million increased investment to make Pennsylvania more competitive on a national scale and help the Commonwealth become a leader in economic development, innovation, and job creation.

  ⏺ A $2 million investment in the Municipal Assistance Program to help the local, municipal, and county governments that are on the frontlines of supporting their communities and a $1.25 million increase for the Strategic Management Planning Program (STMP) to help local governments create long-term plans for financial success.

  ⏺ A $1 million increased investment for the Manufacturing PA Innovation Program, which connects Pennsylvania’s universities with businesses to spur innovation and job creation here in the Commonwealth.

• Repairing our infrastructure while supporting law enforcement.

  To ensure Pennsylvanians are and feel safe in their communities, this budget ensures that Pennsylvania police departments are well-staffed, well-funded, well-trained, and well-equipped and prioritizes public safety while making more funding available for our infrastructure needs, including:

   

  ⏺ Sustainable funding for the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) through the General Fund, reducing PSP’s reliance on the Motor License Fund (MLF) by $125 million annually over the next four years, putting those dollars directly into road and bridge projects. This was a key campaign promise for the Governor, guaranteeing PSP has a stable, sustainable funding source for the long-term while freeing up more state funds for key infrastructure projects.  

  ⏺ $16.4 million in new funding for four trooper cadet classes in 2023-24, to train 384 new troopers, fill staffing gaps, provide more coverage, and ensure that Pennsylvania State Police are well-funded and well-trained.

  ⏺ $40 million in state funding for the Violence Intervention and Prevention program – a $10 million increase from last year – to address community violence throughout the Commonwealth, on top of funding at the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency to reduce gun violence and make communities safer. 

  ⏺ $355,000 for a new unit within the Department of Corrections, run by the Secretary of the Board of Pardons, underscoring the Governor and Lieutenant Governor’s commitment to second chances and allowing the Department address backlogs in the pardons process.  

  ⏺ A $250,000 increase to support the It’s On Us PA initiative – which aims to create an environment where sexual violence is unacceptable and survivors are supported – and to keep college students across Pennsylvania safe from campus sexual assault.