Mandate Relief Proposals Aim to Reduce Costs to Schools, Taxpayers

Education funding is expected to be one of the most contentious topics in the coming weeks and months as the General Assembly works to hammer out the final details of the 2011-12 state budget. While Governor Corbett's budget proposal would direct more state dollars to the basic education subsidy, the loss of federal stimulus dollars will result in a reduction in overall dollars for our public schools.

To continue to provide a quality education for students with less funding, it will be vital to give school boards the tools they need to be flexible, creative and efficient in spending taxpayer dollars. I joined my Senate colleagues recently to introduce a bipartisan package of mandate reforms that will reduce pressure on school district budgets to provide added flexibility for school boards.

The mandate relief package would enable districts to order teacher furloughs for economic reasons, allow districts to forgo filing non-essential reports not involving budget, financial, or safety information to the Pennsylvania Department of Education, increase the monetary threshold for bidding on contracts and enact other cost-savings measures. These bills were recently approved by the Senate Education Committee, and I hope they will be considered on the Senate floor in the coming weeks.

One of the biggest concerns expressed by opponents of Governor Corbett's education funding proposal is the possibility that school boards will pass this funding shortfall on to taxpayers in the form of hefty property tax increases. I have also cosponsored legislation that would prevent school boards from enacting excessive property tax increases without approval from the district's voters at the ballot box.

The state spends billions of dollars each year on education, and we must demand accountability for how these dollars are spent. I am hopeful that we can reduce some of the burdens on local school boards to give them the flexibility they need to provide educational opportunities for students without taking more money out of the pockets of taxpayers.

Senator Alloway represents the 33rd Senatorial District, which includes all of Adams and Franklin Counties and parts of York County. More information on these and other state issues is available online at senatoralloway.com.