During a public hearing on improving school funding, the Pennsylvania Basic Education Funding Commission heard from people who stressed the need to set fair and adequate funding targets for every school in the state.

Aaron Chapin, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association and a 4th and 5th grade teacher at Stroudsburg Area Middle School, testified at the most recent hearing. He said it is important for the new plan to be transparent and sustainable, and fix the funding inequities across the state.

Chapin noted the association has found many equity gaps, which need to be closed.

"We took a look at 100 districts that are in the lowest quintiles, we looked at 100 districts with the lowest incomes and the 100 districts with the wealthiest incomes," Chapin outlined. "We saw that these districts, with the lowest income, spend 30% less per weighted student than the wealthiest 100 districts."

The commission has been gathering feedback from educators, policymakers and parents throughout the fall. Its goal is to develop a comprehensive plan to meet the requirements of a court ruling in February, which found Pennsylvania's public school funding system unconstitutional.

Chapin acknowledged fixing the education funding system will not happen immediately, but hopes the commission will look closely at funding for special education, building construction and other educational needs.

"We also hope that they're going to be looking to reestablish the state charter school reimbursement at about $500 million, and annually index it to meet the inflation costs that have been rising," Chapin explained. "Because over the last decade, payments to school districts for charter schools and cyber schools, they have increased by $1.4 billion."

He added a clear timeline is also important, as well as addressing critical staffing shortages, as he describes the lack of qualified teachers and staff as having reached a "crisis level." He noted there has been a 75% drop in applicants seeking first-year teaching certificates in the Commonwealth.

A South Dakota House committee takes up a controversial bill today that would require all school districts in the state to display the Ten Commandments in each classroom.

The bill, which narrowly cleared the Senate last week, also contains provisions that would require the Ten Commandments be taught in civics classes.

Opponents say the mandate crosses the line when it comes to separation of church and state. In the recent debate, state Sen. Stephanie Sauder, R-Bryant, a former teacher, said her biggest issue was the loss of local control.

"This bill, which will remove the school's freedom of choice to decide what's best for their students and their district," said Sauder, "and it'll also take away a parent's freedom to challenge the decision."

Sauder voted against the measure, which ended up passing in the Senate by a single vote. Backers of the bill say it's an important part of learning U.S. history, but opponents such as Sauder say current teaching already makes mention of the commandments when covering various religions.

Louisiana recently became the first state to adopt this requirement, but it's being challenged in court. Opponents in South Dakota warn of similar litigation here, if this bill crosses the finish line. But supporters such as state Sen. Sue Peterson, R-Sioux Falls, suggest the concerns about the words being on display are overblown.

"'Thou shall not steal.' 'Thou shall not kill' - I don't think that hurts anything," Peterson said. "In fact, I think it's helpful."

But other lawmakers, who say they adhere to the same guiding principles, question whether this mandate would solve any broader issue. Beyond Louisiana and the South Dakota proposal, a handful of other conservative states are considering similar measures, most notably Texas.


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The rate of U.S. high school seniors seeking higher education is on the upswing, according to research from Lumina Foundation.

Although Hoosier student rates are improving, the numbers show they still rank behind national figures. The report, called "A Stronger Nation," showed nearly 55% of American adults aged 25-64 have a college degree or industry-recognized certification. Indiana's attainment rate is almost 54%, six points shy of the 2025 goal for the state.

Teresa Lubbers, a Lumina Foundation board member and president of the Sagamore Institute, an Indianapolis-based think tank focusing on social impact issues, said the study was done with a sense of urgency.

"I think that having the 60% goal was the rallying call for us, not just as a number but why that number was directly tied to the needs of the workforce," Lubbers explained. "If someone was going to have prosperity in their life and Indiana's economy was going to be strong, this was an imperative, not a choice."

The report specified a post-high school education as an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree or college-level or industry-recognized certificate. The report noted 60 % of adults in the United States will need a post-high school credential showing completion in training and a demonstrated competency in an employable skill. Indiana's short-term credential achievement rate is slightly under 12%.

Data classified by race and ethnicity shows progress across the board. Among Black students, 42% either have an associate's, bachelor's, or master's degree while 44% of white students, 28% of Hispanic students, and 63% of Asian students have obtained the degrees.

Lubbers touted the importance of compiling the study.

"Whether it's college readiness, college completion, dual credit, return on investment, the number of credentials and certificates, all of those things roll up to make the case for what we're doing and what's working," Lubbers added.

Graduation level gaps are closing, Lubbers noted, thanks to the 21st Century Scholars Program which provides eligible, low-income students with a full ride scholarship to a participating Indiana college or university. Report recommendations for reaching state goals are to maintain the current achievement figures and to boost enrollment numbers in credential-based institutions.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

West Virginia's innovative programs and a boost in state financial aid have made it possible for more people to earn a college degree or get a credential that shows they've achieved competency in a specific field.

The latest data from Lumina Foundation show more than 44% of adults in the Mountain State have attained some level of education after high school.

West Virginia Invest, the state's free community college program, and Level Up, which offers dual enrollment for high schoolers, are driving the increase, said Sarah Tucker, chancellor of the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission. She said dual enrollment can help keep young students on the right track "by enrolling them in dual-enrollment courses in high school that are tailored to the major that they are interested in when they go on to college."

According to the report, in 2023, nearly 10% of West Virginians held an associate degree and around 13% held a bachelor's degree.

Tucker said the state has also worked to increase FAFSA participation - the form families fill out to get financial aid for college. She noted that last year, the commission staff completed more than 200 FAFSA workshops at high schools, even when the program temporarily shut down.

"We doubled our needs-based aid program," she said, "so that our neediest students would be able to go to college and wouldn't be left sitting home, which was my biggest fear."

Affordability is another factor. In West Virginia, Tucker said, 60% of community college students graduate with no student debt to repay.

"What we have seen in the past several years, through keeping our tuition low and this investment by the state," she said, "is that we have really increased the number of our students who don't have any loans."

Nationwide, nearly 55% of people have a postsecondary degree or credential, and around 47% hold a bachelor's degree.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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