KITCHEN: RENDELL BUDGET HELPS SCHOOLS & LIBRARIES

          HARRISBURG, February 8 – The 2006-07 state budget proposed today by Gov. Ed Rendell demonstrates his commitment to education by increasing basic education funding by $224 million and establishing the highest-ever public library subsidy in Pennsylvania history, according to state Sen. Shirley M. Kitchen.

          “This budget is an investment in our children that will pay off for years to come,” said Kitchen (D-Philadelphia). “Pennsylvania’s libraries took a major funding hit during Rendell’s first budget. I applaud him for restoring library funding and even increasing it to its highest level in our state’s history.”

           The Rendell budget would increase library funding by $14.1 million to a total of $75.5 million.

          Philadelphia schools would receive a 5 percent basic education funding increase to a total of over $826 million. Philadelphia School District would qualify for over $18 million as a poverty supplement and nearly $4 million based on the district’s number of limited-English-proficiency students.

          “Philadelphia schools have a unique challenge in serving so many low-income children and children who speak English as a second language,” said Kitchen. “It is important that the state recognizes this and provides additional funding to meet these challenges.”

          Statewide, the Rendell budget would invest $20 million next year to put a laptop computer on every student’s desk in 100 high schools. The budget would also include $6 million to help train teachers in using this technology more effectively in their classrooms.

          The “Science: It’s Elementary” initiative in the 2006-07 budget would provide $10 million to enhance science education in up to 150 elementary schools across the state. This project would expand a pilot program currently running in 48 southwestern Pennsylvania school districts that are partnered with ASSET, a non-profit education initiative established by Bayer Corporation.

          Early childhood education continues to be a focus for the Rendell administration, as this year’s budget would add another $15 million to Head Start to bring total support for this program to $45 million.

          “Before Rendell came to Harrisburg, the state was providing zero funding for Head Start,” said Kitchen. “This program is vital to preparing at-risk children for school, and Pennsylvania can be proud that we have given thousands more children a Head Start on learning.”

          Higher education would also get additional support under Rendell’s proposed budget. With an extra $3.7 million provided to the New Technology Scholarship Program, 500 more college students would receive grants to pursue degrees in bioscience, engineering, genetics, polymer science, and robotics. These students would commit to working in the state for several years after attending a Pennsylvania college or university.

          Building on last year’s historic investment in Pennsylvania’s community colleges, this year’s budget would provide an additional $12.6 million to these schools. This funding hike includes a 10 percent increase in capital project funding.

          Other important initiatives in the Rendell budget include the following:

• Cover All Kids – $14.6 million program to provide health coverage to 15,000 children who are presently uninsured

• PACE Plus Medicare - $224.8 million plan to ensure current PACE participants do not pay higher prescription drug costs under Medicare Part D and help 120,000 more seniors with their drug expenses

• Child Care – $112 million in additional funds to expand child-care services to nearly 17,000 more children and increase the investment in Keystone Stars, a facility rating system administered by the state Department of Public Welfare

• Cancer Screening - $1.7 million to expand the existing HealthyWoman Program and provide annual breast and cervical cancer exams to uninsured women ages 40 to 49

• Nursing Shortage – $10 million to address the state’s shortage of health-care workers

• $500 million bond issue to help academic medical centers and universities upgrade their facilities and provide grants to attract new companies and institutions to the state

• Increased funding for the disabled and seniors to receive services in their homes, rather than nursing homes.