Pennsylvania’s school funding fight exits spotlight

HARRISBURG – When Gov. Tom Wolf took office, he told lawmakers that he had a plan to fix Pennsylvania’s system of school funding.

Four years and a couple of budget fights later, public school advocates say huge gaps still persist between poorer and wealthier districts.

The subject didn’t rate a mention this past week in the Democrat’s first budget speech to the Legislature after his re-election.

That prompted grumbling among Democrats, although some in the school-funding trenches say Wolf hasn’t given up.

They say his silence reflects the difficult politics in the Republican-controlled Legislature.

In the meantime, public school advocates are trying to build support for ideas to funnel a bigger share of money to districts that are suffering the most.