On the evening pf December 13, 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro signed the school and fiscal code bills into law, major bipartisan bills as part of the bipartisan budget for fiscal year 2023-24. Governor Shapiro worked with legislative leaders from both parties to secure the bipartisan passage of major legislation that funds student mental health, environmental repairs in schools, 9-1-1 emergency dispatch, and a historic expansion of the Pennsylvania Child and Dependent Care Enhancement Tax Credit Program.

The bills Governor Shapiro signed into law included language to drive out $175 million for environmental repairs and upgrades in Pennsylvania schools, $100 million for student mental health, $10 million for student teacher stipends, and $7.5 million for indigent defense.

Supporting and Investing in Pennsylvania Students & Teachers
Building on the $567 million increase in basic education funding (BEF) for Pennsylvania school districts – the largest BEF increase in history – and the $46.5 million increase to provide universal free breakfast to 1.7 million Pennsylvania K-12 students, the school code bills signed by the Governor today include:

• Releasing $261 million to support Pennsylvania community colleges – and $70.5 million for libraries.
• Investing $175 million in environmental repairs and upgrades in our schools to create world-class facilities that are safe and healthy for students to learn in and teachers to work in.
• Adding $150 million to the Educational Improvement Tax Credit Program & Opportunity Scholarship Tax Credit Program.
• Investing $100 million for school-based mental health resources for students, fulfilling another key promise of Governor Shapiro’s from the campaign trail.
• Investing $10 million to provide Pennsylvania’s student teachers with stipends so the Commonwealth can get more well-trained teachers into our classrooms.

For more information on the investments made in the commonsense, bipartisan 2023-24 budget, visit shapirobudget.pa.gov.