The education spending boon in Pennsylvania’s newly approved 2026-27 budget, which expands student wellness programs, school safety initiatives and career-education opportunities, is netting the Bethlehem Area School District $5 million.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough, or in time, to obviate a tax increase. Because the assembly took so long, BASD had commitments to make and had already approved its own budget, which includes a 4 percent school tax increase for city residents.

The state budget, approved by the general assembly and signed into law by Governor Josh Shapiro continues Pennsylvania’s multiyear effort to address inequities in the school-funding system while adding new requirements related to bullying prevention, cyber charter attendance, student health and school safety.

Among the largest investments is $565 million in adequacy and tax-equity funding, along with increases for basic and special education funding.

The budget also includes policy changes affecting students and schools, including stricter cyber charter attendance standards, new bullying-investigation requirements, expanded suicide-prevention and cyberbullying training, enhanced school-safety measures and a statewide school-building database.

Career and technical centers will be permitted to administer occupational competency exams before students reach 12th grade. Eligibility for Grow PA scholarships also will expand to include accelerated master’s degree programs.

BASD Board President Mike Faccinetto outlined major policy changes from the state:

•Funding: BASD will receive approximately $400,000 in additional Basic Education Funding, $220,000 in additional Special Education funding, and approximately $4.5 million through the Ready to Learn Block Grant.

•Elementary Recess: Beginning with the 2026-27 school year, school districts must provide at least 30 minutes of daily recess for students in grades K-5. This can obviously create a scheduling challenge, as many schools currently incorporate 20 minutes of recess.

•Student Health: Physical education teachers will no longer collect Body Mass Index data as part of school health requirements.

•Cyber Charter Accountability: Cyber charter schools must verify that enrolling students are not habitually truant and must contact the student’s prior school district to obtain attendance records and truancy information.

• Residency Verification: Families enrolling students in cyber charter schools must submit the required notification form and proof of residency through Sept. 15. School districts may withhold tuition payments until those documents are received.

•Weekly Wellness Checks: Cyber charter schools are now required to conduct weekly wellness checks, with students participating in real-time communication each week, either in person or electronically.

“These are some of the more significant K-12 education provisions included in the final budget. I would say that, generally, these are all positives. Our budget remains the same as adopted, and we will take the win on full adequacy funding again this year,” Faccinetto said. He added that while the money will be put to good use this year, the episode is indicative of difficulties created at the state level. “The budget passed assumed an increase in state revenues. This is more, but not enough to erase the tax increase. This is the key issue with when districts follow their legal obligations and pass budgets by the deadline while the state legislators ignore the law and think it’s OK each year.”

In a statement, the Pennsylvania School Boards Association welcomed continued investments in education funding while noting that school districts continue to face pressures related to staffing shortages, special education costs, student mental health needs and aging facilities.

“We appreciate the governor’s continued commitment to several important education initiatives,” PSBA CEO Nathan Mains said earlier during the budget process. “To fully meet the needs of students across Pennsylvania, PSBA urges the General Assembly and the administration to build on this proposal by strengthening basic and special education funding so every school district has the resources necessary to educate students and protect taxpayers.”

State Sen. Lisa Boscola, who voted in favor of the budget, told the Press, “Legislators representing BASD worked diligently to bring over $5 million more in state funding this year. It’s incumbent on BASD to adjust the budget, as state law allows due to increased revenue, to lower tax rates.

“A 4.17 percent property tax increase is crushing seniors, young people, working families and middle-class homeowners. I’m doing everything I can legislatively to address the issue, including offering proposals to eliminate school property taxes and replacing with a fairer system.”

Boscola concluded, “Local Property taxes are the worst way to fund public schools. Until we finally move off property taxes as the critical component of funding them, we will be locked into this never-ending cycle.”