A regional activist organization is planning a demonstration Monday evening in Pottsville to advocate for increased public education spending at the state level and for legislators to pass a budget.
In This Together NEPA plans to gather outside State Sen. Dave Argall’s office at W. Market and N. Centre streets in downtown Pottsville at 5:30 p.m. Monday.
The organization says, “Harrisburg has failed to adequately fund public schools in NEPA and across Pennsylvania.”
It calls out Argall because he represents school districts named in a lawsuit claiming the state’s funding formula for public schools was unconstitutional. Those districts are Shenandoah Valley and Panther Valley.
In This Together NEPA says despite the ruling in the districts’ favor, “we’ve only fixed 11% of the funding gap.” In addition, state legislators still haven’t passed a budget for the new year, which could lead to delays in local districts receiving state funding.
“We’re calling on parents, students, educators, and concerned community members to show up and demand a budget that invests in our kids and puts more money into our public school classrooms,” the organization says. “How can our local schools plan for next year if Harrisburg hasn’t approved the funding our kids and districts need?”
Image: In This Together NEPA
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