On March 15, 2023, Governor Shapiro highlighted his plan to give new teachers a personal income tax credit of up to $2,500 a year for three years to encourage new teachers to join the profession and ease the burden on existing teachers.

Last week, the Governor unveiled his budget, which proposes a refundable tax credit of up to $2,500 every year for up to three years for anyone who earns a new license or certification in education, nursing, or law enforcement, or for anyone who already has a license in those fields and decides to move to Pennsylvania for work. In total, the budget includes an investment of $24.7 million in job retention and recruitment efforts to specifically attract more of these critically needed workers.

To help ensure every Pennsylvania student has access to a quality education, Governor Shapiro’s budget includes an increase of $567.4 million, or 7.8 percent, for basic education funding, in addition to targeted support to help students learn and grow. The Governor’s inaugural budget provides:
-$38.5 million for universal free breakfast for all Pennsylvania students, regardless of income, so that all students have access to a healthy, nutritious meal to start the school day.
-$500 million over the next 5 years to reduce and remediate environmental hazards in schools to ensure more children will have the opportunity to grow and learn in healthy settings.
-$500 million over the next five years so that schools can fund mental health counselors and services on site, because our students’ mental health is just as important as their physical health.

Learn more about Governor Shapiro’s budget and plans for rebuilding our education workforce here.