40 TH
Ranked
ranked top 20 %
Working with Harrisburg to Fix Our District’ s Funding Gap
While every public school district relies on funding from local and state sources, not all districts or all tax bases are created equal. Districts that generate less local revenue, such as through lower local taxes, often find themselves operating with a funding gap compared to nearby districts, and without the resources needed to fully support students.
$ Property Tax $
Plum Borough School District
40 TH
Ranked
out of 41 districts in revenue
Plum Borough is one of these districts: Because our district operates while maintaining the lowest real estate tax in the region, we are ranked 40th out of 41 districts in total revenue.
Comparable educational services must be provided for our students despite us being able to utilize significantly less funding than nearly every other district in the county.
As a result, local taxpayers bear a larger share of educational funding.
The District’ s total revenue per student is approximately $ 16,650, compared to a regional average of approximately $ 22,453.
Plum Borough School District is encouraged by the Commonwealth ' s adoption of the 2026-27 Pennsylvania State Budget, particularly its continued recognition of the public school funding adequacy gap identified through the Basic Education Funding Commission and subsequent court rulings.
The District appreciates the General Assembly and Governor ' s commitment to addressing longstanding inequities in Pennsylvania ' s school funding system. Continued investments toward adequacy represent meaningful progress and acknowledge the financial challenges faced by many school districts across the Commonwealth.
While this year ' s budget moves Pennsylvania in the right direction, significant work remains.
Despite the additional state investment, Plum Borough School District continues to experience a substantial adequacy funding gap that places increasing pressure on local taxpayers while the District works to maintain high-quality educational opportunities for students. Rising costs associated with special education, transportation, employee benefits, and mandated services continue to outpace available revenues.
To be clear, Plum Borough School District invests responsibly and strategically to provide a high-quality education. Despite being ranked 40th out of 41 districts in total revenue, our district ranks in the top 20 % of school districts across Pennsylvania in overall achievement. revenue per student
$ 16,650
PLUM
ranked top 20 %
Statewide
PA
$ 22,453
REGIONAL AVERAGE
Plum Borough School District PLUM BOROUGH SCHOOL DISTRICT NEWS
We aim to work together with Harrisburg to change the funding formula so districts with lower local revenue get the necessary state funding to offset the difference.
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