The people in the Senate Republican leadership are playing politics, and the outcome of these games is always the same: our marginalized kids are left behind; they are punished for the wrongdoings of the people that should be protecting their well-being.
Clearly, these political games have a detrimental effect on brown, Black, and poor white kids in Reading and elsewhere in Berks County and the rest of Pennsylvania.
Senate Republicans are delaying the release of the budget and pushing a plan to cut short funds from our already underfunded public schools to fund private entities. They are following an agenda that disregards the common good and seeks to perpetuate an unequal system.
Republicans have systematically laid hurdles on students at all levels, and universities are not exempt to this attack. The GOP also voted to block funding for Penn State, the University of Pittsburgh and Temple, all state-related universities.
The House passed its preliminary 2023-24 spending plan on June 5. The House returned to session to approve the Senate’s $45 billion spending plan on July 5.
Instead of finalizing the plan, the Senate Republican leadership is dragging its feet rather than getting this bill to the finish line.
The current budget bill is now just awaiting a Senate signature before it can be sent to the governor. Our budget is in a limbo, and so now is the future of our kids.
Our hopes and dreams have been placed on a standby list. This dreadful wait is dragging down our students and the possibility of a better future for those who do not have the financial means.
One of the numerous consequences of this impasse is that notification of Pre-K Counts grant awards has been paused. The Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts program serves children ages 3-5 who are most at risk for school failure due to socioeconomic status, limited English language proficiency, among many other community factors.
Wealthy kids won’t be impacted by this, but what about the approximately 25,000 preschool-age children served in Pre-K Counts programs across Pennsylvania with 5,033 eligible young children in Berks County? Who has their back?
It’s time to end this cycle of devious disruptions as we try to move our state forward. Let’s free the budget I worked hard on and voted for, a budget that invests $717 million more in our public schools and renews faith in the public school system.
The bipartisan 2023-24 spending increases funding for schools in our community — $25.8 million for the Reading School District and $1.2 million for the Gov. Mifflin School District — reflects our top priorities and benefits all Pennsylvanians.
Guzman, a Democrat, represents the 127th Legislative District, which includes parts of Reading and Cumru Township as well as Kenhorst and Shillington.
Source: Berkshire mont