Times Observer file photo The allocation of state education funding has been a potential threat to the Warren County School District for many years. The state’s Basic Education Funding Commission has approved a report that includes eight recommendations aimed at improving the system across the Commonwealth.

The ongoing debate about how to allocate basic education funding dollars across the state has taken a partisan turn.

The Basic Education Funding Commission approved a slate of recommendations recently that were approved along partisan lines.

The Commission doesn’t have the power to implement changes but rather makes recommendations to the governor, General Assembly and state Board of Education.

According to Senate Republicans, the report approved by the Commission calls for more than $7 billion in new education spending.

The Commission rejected another report that had Republican support.

“Our report is a bold and realistic approach for the legislature and governor to address opportunities within our basic education funding system,” Republican Sen. Kristin Phillips-Hill, co-chair of the commission, said. “This commission gathered testimony from more than 90 individuals at our 14 public hearings and received more than 1,000 comments through the public website.

“It is disappointing we could not reach consensus with all of the Democrats, but we believe the recommendations in this report will resonate with students, teachers, parents, and taxpayers without locking our state in for future massive tax hikes at a time when Pennsylvanians can least afford it.”

The report approved by the Commission made a total of eight recommendations: Reducing volatility in the formula and including at least $200 million in funding each year; calculate adequacy targets for each school district; reconstitute the Commission in 2029; expanded investment in school facilities; examine charter school funding; invest in the education workforce; invest in student supports and “consider other important education issues outside the direct scope” of the commission.

Two of the Democrats on the Commission – Sen. Nick Miller and Rep. Peter Schweyer – said schools have been shortchanged and need additional state funding.

“This report offers a timeline and budget recommendations, which are crucial for accountability. It highlights some of the biggest challenges facing our 500 school districts today,” Miller said. “So many of our facilities are in disrepair and I have been a strong advocate for fixing our schools since my time on school board, where I saw firsthand how poor of condition some of our schools are in. We have neglected our buildings for decades. Our students and staff deserve to be in safe and healthy learning environments.”

“Our local property taxpayers have shouldered the burden of overpaying so that we can fund public education for too long,” Sen. Nick Miller explained. “These school districts have been underfunded for decades and our taxpayers have been making up the difference in the meantime. This report recommends $1 billion in tax relief for overtaxed school districts.”

In her newsletter, Rep. Kathy Rapp was critical of the recommendations from the Commission.

“Presented with an opportunity to make transformational changes to the Commonwealth’s education system, the Democrat-leaning Basic Education Funding Commission last week approved a series of recommendations that simply throw more money at the problem,” she said.

Rapp explained that last year the Commonwealth Court deemed the funding system unconstitutional and called for a remedy.

“The House Appropriations Committee has estimated the Democrat-approved recommendations, if enacted by the Legislature, would require more than $8 billion in recurring revenue each year, leading to a significant tax increase,” Rapp said.

“Ultimately, it is now up to the full House and Senate to make the necessary changes to ensure all students have access to a quality education,” she added.