Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin visited Emmaus High School Sept. 5 to meet with students, teachers, advocates and legislators and celebrate the historic investments in public K-12 education secured in the 2024-2025 bipartisan budget – including the creation of a new adequacy formula to drive dollars to the public schools that need them most.

As students across the commonwealth return to school, they are benefiting from substantial new investments secured by Shapiro and a bipartisan group of legislators. The 2024-2025 budget includes a historic $1.1 billion in total increases in K-12 public education funding, the largest year-over-year increase in commonwealth history. This budget delivers significant progress on building strong and safe school communities, adequately and equitably funding public schools, supporting teachers and ensuring every Pennsylvania child has the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed.

“In the bipartisan budget I signed this summer, Pennsylvania is for the first time ever committing $11 billion to K-12 public education – an increase of $1.1 billion from last year, the largest increase in history. There’s nothing more important than investing in our children and their future and we’ll continue to work together to deliver for them,” Shapiro said.

“This budget builds on our progress investing in student teacher stipends, mental health resources and school environmental repairs – while we also improve how school funding is allocated with a new formula that drives dollars out to the schools who need it most.”

Emmaus High School will significantly benefit from the 2024-2025 bipartisan budget’s investments and the new adequacy formula. The high school is part of the East Penn School District – set to receive approximately $2.7 million more than last year thanks to this budget, bringing their total to $24.7 million for the 2024-2025 school year. The district serves nearly 8,000 students from the Lehigh Valley across seven elementary schools, two middle schools and one high school.

“It’s a pleasure to be here today with Gov. Shapiro, alongside students, teachers and staff as we kick off a new school year. Reflecting on my own time as a superintendent, I’m both amazed and inspired by how much education has evolved,” Mumin said. “Yet, no matter how much things change, the beginning of a new school year always brings a sense of joy, renewal and endless possibilities. This moment is especially meaningful knowing that, thanks to Gov. Shapiro’s historic investments over the past two years and the administration’s unwavering commitment to education in Pennsylvania, our schools are not just improving – they are set up for generations of greatness. The future is bright and I’m thrilled to be part of this journey.”

The 2024-2025 budget delivers significant progress for K-12 education that will give every student the freedom to chart their own course and the opportunity to succeed. This budget includes funding for:

•Historic Basic Education Funding: Building on the investments in the governor’s first budget, the 2024-2025 budget makes another historic down payment in K-12 education funding in Pennsylvania with an increase of $1.1 billion. Of this funding, nearly $526 million will be distributed through a new adequacy formula to drive dollars to the schools that need them most.

•Increases to Special Education: Shapiro’s budget increases special education funding by $100 million to ensure school districts have the basic resources necessary to provide high-quality special education services to students with disabilities and special needs.

•Cyber Charter Reimbursement: The 2024-2025 budget sets aside $100 million to reimburse schools for payments they must make to cyber charter schools.

•Career and Technical Education and Dual Enrollment: Creating real opportunity for students includes expanding options for them to gain experience, training and advanced credit for college while still in high school. The governor’s budget includes a $30 million increase for career and technical education and continues $7 million in support of dual enrollment.

•School Safety and Security and Mental Health Services: Every student deserves to be safe and feel safe in their school. The 2024-2025 budget continues a $20 million annual investment in school safety and security improvements and provides $100 million in sustainable funding for environmental repairs and other facility projects in schools — $25 million of which is set aside for solar projects at schools. This budget also delivers $100 million to put more mental health and physical safety resources in schools.

•Providing Period Products for Students: No student should have to miss school due to not being able to afford basic necessities like menstrual hygiene products. The governor’s budget invests $3 million to provide menstrual hygiene products at no cost to students in schools.

•Investing in Early Childhood Learning: Every child in Pennsylvania deserves the support and resources to succeed, from infancy through adulthood. The budget invests an additional $2.7 million in the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program and an additional $15 million for the Pre-K Counts program.

•Universal Free Breakfast for Students: Students cannot be expected to focus, learn and succeed on an empty stomach. The governor’s budget ensures that 1.7 million students across Pennsylvania will receive free breakfast at school, regardless of their income.

•Supporting Student Teacher Stipends: To further strengthen the educator pipeline and address the education workforce shortage, the 2024-2025 budget doubles funding for student teacher stipends, for a total of $20 million to support Pennsylvanians training to become certified and committed educators in the Commonwealth.

The governor was joined for a ceremonial bill signing by East Penn School District Superintendent Dr. Kristen Campbell, Emmaus High School teacher Eric Luckenbill and student Mariam Mahmoud, as well as local and state legislators.

“The state budget that was signed by Gov. Shapiro represents a significant investment of financial resources that are going to support our students here in East Penn and schools across the commonwealth. Specifically, the new adequacy formula is a marked step forward in equitably funding Pennsylvania schools,” Campbell said. “These funds will create enhanced and equitable opportunities for all students here at East Penn.”

“I would not be where I am today without the support and quality of public schools in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania – my public school upbringing gave me a platform and preparation to succeed in college and prepare for my career here at Emmaus High School. My wife Heidi is a public school teacher as well, and we are raising our two children, Matthew and Hannah, in public schools,” Luckenbill said. “The support of public education from Gov. Shapiro, the Pennsylvania General Assembly and in communities around our state allows educators, like myself, to spend our time sharing our passions – like mine for American history and government – with our students.”

“I’ve had the pleasure of meeting countless remarkable people whose support has shaped my high school experience. This includes not only some of my closest friends and peers, but also my teachers who have shaped me into who I am today,” Mahmoud said. “Their encouragement has been nothing short of extraordinary. Emmaus High School has given me the space and resources to explore my passions. I’m excited to continue this journey as I pursue a pre-med major in college.”

“The legislation that was passed that we’re here to celebrate – that was passed on a bipartisan basis – starts with answering the most foundational question a school funding system should have: ‘What do our children need to be successful?’” Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, a senior attorney at The Public Interest Law Center in Philadelphia said. “While this year’s money is critical, we have billions of dollars to go with children that don’t have the luxury to wait a decade for us to get this right and with school leaders who need to know they will have the funds so that they can plan on how to build out the schools for students. We celebrate today, and then we need to double down – committing to finishing the job so that every child can go to a Pennsylvania public school with resources the Constitution requires.”

“This year’s budget has set us on a strong path to changing the way we invest in our children and fund our schools. We are fixing those chronically underfunded districts and supporting growing areas without sacrificing the good work of our high-achieving school districts,” House Majority Education Committee Chairman state Rep. Peter Schweyer, D-134th said. “This budget is a huge step forward to ensure that any child, regardless of where they were born, has the opportunity to learn and succeed. More importantly, as a parent of two Allentown School District students, I thank Gov. Shapiro for his leadership and courage to fight for all our kids – including mine.”

“I’d like to thank Gov. Shapiro for his commitment to students, not just here in the Lehigh Valley, but across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. We recently passed a budget with a historical investment in education, meeting the moment after the recent court ruling,” state Sen. Nick Miller, D-14th said. “As a former school board member, I saw firsthand the realities of underfunded school districts, whether it’s classrooms with mold or asbestos or lack air conditioning. This budget includes $100 million to help remediate and repair our schools, as well as $130 million for workforce development. Our students need to be prepared for the careers of tomorrow, in industries like advanced manufacturing, robotics and machinery. These investments are providing our students the tools to grow their skills for their future careers.”

For more information on how the 2024-25 budget will create opportunity for Pennsylvanians, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.