NESQUEHONING, Pa. — It's an important walk through the hallways at Panther Valley Elementary School in Nequeshoning, all to show one of the state's top education lawmakers why fair funding is needed in the district.
"We've been underfunded for decades, and that's just coming to fruition in the last couple of years, but you're seeing the results of being underfunded for 15-20 years. You're seeing that now," said Panther Valley school district superintendent Dave McAndrew.
Panther Valley is one of several school districts that were involved in the fair funding lawsuit.
Superintendent McAndrew testified at trial saying his district needed financial help.
In February, a Commonwealth Court Judge ruled that the state's school funding formula is unconstitutional, declaring that it must be reformed...but exactly how lawmakers plan to do that is still up in the air.
Senator David Argall, the new chairman of the Senate Education Committee, said conversations are happening.
"We're in the midst of a series of public hearings to try and find a new way to find the public schools. The current way, quite honestly, just doesn't make any sense. We're based on an old property tax from the 1830s," said Senator Argall, (R) 29th district.
School officials say not having a fair funding formula that addresses the needs and repairs of the elementary school is impacting students' ability to learn in the classroom.
"My one third-grade teacher has a quote she uses often is "Students need to be available to learn." So basically, if you are in a 90-degree classroom or a 55-60-degree classroom, it's going to be much harder for out to learn than if you were in a temperant condition," said Principal Robert Palazzo, Panther Valley Elementary.
The school district says it has received some state money, but it's not nearly enough to do everything it needs.
"We need more adequate facilities. We need smaller class sizes. We need a reading specialist. We need librarians. We need you now, school psychologist. All those types of things that were lacking right now would really help out students, and really that's what other schools that are successful are receiving, and ultimately that's what this lawsuit was about," McAndrew said.
Panther Valley hopes to finally get the funding they need to provide better resources to students and staff.
