Making the case for school facilities funding

In 2024, Governor Josh Shapiro and the General Assembly awarded $250 million in public school facilities funding to nearly 300 school districts and career and technical schools. These funds, provided in the form of competitive, matching grants under the Public School Facilities Improvement Grant (PSFIG) and the Public Schools Environmental Repairs Program, were the first to dedicate funding for Pennsylvania school facilities improvements since 2016. 

We commend the Governor, House and Senate leadership, and agency leaders at the Departments of Community and Economic Development and Education for their leadership on these programs and the hard-working individuals who stood them up so quickly. These funds are being used as the first-of-its-kind and much needed seed money for facility investments in educational infrastructure. This will generate an estimated $1 billion in local economic development impact through construction jobs by September 2025. 

The 2024 grants will help partially fund 317 school renovation projects, but the need remains much higher and affects nearly every district. In a recent State of Education survey conducted by the Pennsylvania School Board Association (PSBA), 71.4 percent of respondents indicated that one or more of their buildings needed major repairs or replacement. In the PSBA report, the survey respondents listed HVAC, building envelope, and energy efficiency upgrades as their top priorities. Many districts are also working hard to mitigate mold, asbestos, lead, and other emerging threats to their students and staff.

The Basic Education Funding Commission rightfully included public education infrastructure investment from the state in its recommendations. The funding from Act 33 and Act 34 of 2023 was a great start. As part of this year’s budget discussions, it would be fiscally responsible to modestly increase the amount of available school facilities grant funding to $500 million. This funding could seed projects at nearly all districts and add decades to the useful life of many more facilities for a relatively small cost per district. 

Renovation focused funding is more sustainable than the previous PlanCon model where districts were incentivized to not invest in their existing facilities in favor of financing a new, very expensive, building project every twenty years. By making school facilities funding reoccurring, districts can better plan for preventative yearly maintenance projects that fit in their budgets. This proactive approach can mitigate the risk for expensive emergency repairs and avoid lapsed warranties that result in unsafe indoor environmental conditions for students and staff.  

All children deserve to receive a quality education in an environment that is warm, safe, and dry. The most cost-effective way to accomplish this for state and local taxpayers is to help school boards make investments in the maintenance of existing facilities and encourage long-term planning. 

It would be prudent for the legislature to require school districts to report their long-term facility plans to the state as part of this process. This would increase transparency with the taxpayers and better identify the true level of need. Last session’s Senate Bill 1252, introduced by Senator Dave Argall (R-Schuylkill), was a thoughtful compromise that addressed this issue and would give the state better data to make funding decisions while protecting information related to facility safety and access. 

As a facility planning, construction managing, and energy savings partner of Pennsylvania Public Schools for over 30 years, we have seen firsthand how the 2024 funding has benefited our clients and sparked a renewed focus on addressing deferred maintenance. Investing in educational infrastructure is integral to improving educational outcomes. Countless studies have shown that a child has the best chance to learn, and a teacher has the best chance to engage in an environment that is warm, safe, and dry. By increasing the PSFIG program to $500 million, Governor Shapiro and the General Assembly would be making a small, strategic, and prudent investment in the ability to educate our next generation.

Katie Hetherington Cunfer is SitelogIQ’s Director of Government Affairs.

link