In the 2023-24 budget, Governor Josh Shapiro secured the largest increase in K-12 basic education funding in Pennsylvania up to that point and secured universal free breakfast for 1.7 million students.

The 2024-25 budget builds on this historic progress and makes the largest investment in Commonwealth history in K-12 public education and delivers a comprehensive solution on K-12 education in Pennsylvania, including:
-$1.11 billion in total increases in K-12 public education funding – and drives those dollars out in a more equitable manner to the schools that need it most under a new formula.
-$100 million in sustainable funding for environmental repair and other facilities in schools to create safe and healthy environments for students to learn in and teachers to teach in, including $25 million for Solar for Schools.
-A $100 million increase for special education funding, reinforcing Pennsylvania’s commitment to equitable education for all students.
-A $100 million cyber charter reimbursement to better align tuition with the actual costs of providing an online education and save school districts millions annually.

In the 2023-24 budget, Governor Shapiro secured $100 million for student mental health services and $20 million for county mental health support. The final 2024-25 budget matches those investments and takes a step further by continuing an annual $100 million in mental health funding for K-12 schools, building upon one-time federal funds to ensure schools have the continued resources to provide mental health services to students and staff and increasing another $20 million for county mental health.

Also, to help parents and families in the PA workforce cannot succeed if there is a lack of affordable childcare – and the new budget makes a critically needed $17.7 million increase for early childhood education, including:
-$15 million for the Pre-K Counts program.
-$2.7 million for the Head Start Supplement Assistance program to support our early learners and stabilize our workforce.

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