Prokopiak welcomes Gov. Shapiro to Morrisville
Rep. Jim Prokopiak September 4, 2024 | 11:15 AM
Prokopiak welcomes Gov. Shapiro to Morrisville
MORRISVILLE, Sept 4 – State Rep. Jim Prokopiak greeted Gov. Josh Shapiro and Pennsylvania Department of Education Secretary Dr. Khalid N. Mumin on Tuesday as they visited Morrisville Middle/Senior High School for its first day of school.
Shapiro and Mumin visited Morrisville, a traditionally underfunded school, to tout the state’s historic increase in education funding.
The 2024-25 state budget, which Prokopiak voted for, and Shapiro signed in July, included a $1.1 billion increase for K-12 education -- marking the largest single-year investment in the Commonwealth’s history and did so without any tax increases.
The School District of the Borough of Morrisville received a 10.9% increase in state fundings from the 2024-25 budget. In addition, the Neshaminy and Pennsbury school districts received increases of 12.2% and 8.1%, respectively.
In 2023, Commonwealth Court ruled that Pennsylvania’s school funding was unconstitutional because the current system is inequitable. What the 2024-25 budget does is begin to correct these inequities while creating $136 million in property tax relief for the current fiscal year and a planned $955 million in property tax relief over seven years.
The property tax relief comes from the state removing funding burdens from local taxes -- such as property taxes -- by addressing the previous inadequacies in state funding.
“I want to thank Governor Shapiro for his leadership in shepherding through a divided legislature a bipartisan budget that invests in our students, our communities, and our taxpayers,” Prokopiak said. “The $1.1 billion increase in education funding is a necessary first step to ensure that we fulfill our constitutional duty to fund public education and will allow all of our students to pursue the American dream, while also working to reduce the burden on property owners.”
Prokopiak represents the 140th Legislative District, which is comprised of Falls, Morrisville, Tullytown and part of Middletown in Bucks County.
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Editors: Photos from Gov. Shapiro’s visit to Morrisville can be found here.
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CONTACT: Ryan Bevitz
House Democratic Communications Office
Phone: 717-787-7895
Email: rbevitz@pahouse.net
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