Your Vote Decides – Nov 1, 2024

Only four more days until the frenzy of the campaign season comes to an end, especially in PA where the presidential candidates and their high-profile surrogates have been going nonstop to get our votes.

We’ll all breathe a sigh of relief when the ads, mailers, and phone calls stop, but we’ll breathe a lot better if we elect the right people to office because our votes decide our children’s future.

It was two years ago at this time that Josh Shapiro and Doug Mastriano were vying for governor, and the consequences of that election have become very clear over the last 18 months.

In line with his campaign promises, Governor Shapiro has heavily invested in public education. In his first budget address after the election, Shapiro pledged to “invest half a billion dollars over the next five years for environmental repairs and upgrades in our schools [because] our students should have world-class facilities that are safe and healthy.”

Last week, he followed through with that pledge by awarding $175 million to schools for building improvements, like repairing roofs and windows, classrooms and bathrooms. William Penn School District, the lead plaintiff in the historic fair funding lawsuit, will be able to replace leaky roofs and outdated HVAC systems. Another plaintiff, Panther Valley School District, will finally be able to get more toilets for their kindergarten classes (see the photo above).

Philadelphia, where the average school is 75 years old, is getting $16.77 million to fix chronically leaky roofs and windows, among other much-needed repairs. State Senator Vincent Hughes, a longstanding vocal advocate to repair the schools, lauded the release of the funds. “I’ve toured schools in the city that have leaks, visible mold on the walls, and old, outdated heating and air conditioning equipment. Many of our schools have had to close because it was too hot for anyone to be in the building. This funding will alleviate a lot of those issues.” 

On top of funding for general school building upgrades, the Shapiro Administration awarded $75 million for 109 school districts to help make sure kids are less likely to get sick going to school by removing environmental hazards like mold, asbestos, or lead paint and pipes to their water fountains. Gratefully, 17 districts across the five southeastern counties will receive more than $13 million, with Philadelphia getting the lion’s share of nearly $8 million. This is a huge investment.

This is another example of how Governor Shapiro lived up to Candidate Shapiro’s pledge. “I promised to help our school districts provide safe, healthy places for our students to learn – and that’s why I’ve fought for and delivered environmental repair funding as one piece of an historic investment in public education through my first 18 months in office,” he said.  

Of course, the Governor can’t deliver all on his own. Senator Hughes and Representative Elizabeth Fiedler led the charges in their legislative chamber, with a big assist from public education advocates like you who worked with us to build bipartisan support.  

While the presidential election is getting all the attention, state legislators are on the ballot next Tuesday too. They’re the ones who will be at the budget negotiation table, choosing how to continue to deliver the dollars students need to learn. This $250 million in facility repair barely meets the statewide need, and school districts are still underfunded by $4.5 billion. So when you go to vote, remember, elections matter.