Governor Wolf Statement on Budget and Education Funding

Harrisburg, PA – Governor Wolf released the following statement on the budget and education funding:

“The most important thing we can do to lay a foundation for long-term economic growth in Pennsylvania and prepare our children to compete in a 21st century economy is to make historic investments in education to reverse the devastating cuts from five years ago.

“Nearly one month ago, Republican leaders agreed to a budget with me that includes the largest increase in education funding – at all levels – in the history of Pennsylvania. It is long past time for the legislature to move ahead with this agreement and end this impasse.

“This agreement, that Republican leaders stood outside my office twice to announce, includes an additional $60 million for early childhood education, which will create 14,000 new slots for children, it invests $400 million new dollars into K through 12 education, a hugely important first step in restoring the cuts made to school funding, and the agreement increases higher education funding by 5 percent.

“I urge the legislature to come together and pass the budget with this historic education funding and begin to move the commonwealth forward.”