Schools
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In western Pa., ‘Friday night lights’ provide a sense of community—and, for some, a way out
The Aliquippa Works steel mill, which ran for miles along the nearby Ohio River and employed well over 10,000 workers at its height before the industry collapsed, is long gone. While the lampposts along Franklin Street in the heart of the borough’s business district carry banners honoring “Hometown Heroes” who served in the armed forces,…
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Pa. parents demanding tech opt outs take fight to federal court
Families in Lower Merion, Montgomery County, say their district’s new policy violates their civil rights, but experts don’t expect similar lawsuits.
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We asked, you answered: How would you change Pa.’s property tax system?
We asked Keystone newsletter readers what kind of changes they would make to Pennsylvania’s property taxes, a majority of which goes toward funding public schools.
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York lawmakers want to eliminate school property taxes. Will it work?
Legislators from York County are once again pushing a proposal to eliminate school property taxes by increasing sales and personal income taxes, reigniting a decades-old debate over how Pennsylvania should fund public education.
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Amid soaring measles cases, parents can now track vaccination rates at Pa. schools
With measles cases hitting historic levels in Pennsylvania, the state Department of Health has introduced a new online database that tracks vaccination rates at K-12 schools.
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40,000 Pennsylvania Latinos cut off from SNAP as Trump’s “big beautiful bill” takes hold
Despite political rhetoric, data shows white people are the largest racial group receiving SNAP benefits. Many of the people hit hardest, though, are the ones who have to show up to school with empty bellies.
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With little data or oversight, Pennsylvania’s $650M school tax credits draw criticism
Pennsylvania spends $680 million a year on two school voucher-like tax credit programs, but lawmakers say the state lacks the data to know if they’re helping—or simply handing out corporate tax breaks.
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What federal shift could mean for Pennsylvania’s special education needs
Special education oversight is shifting out of the US Department of Education. The change could have particular effects in Pennsylvania, which has one of the nation’s highest shares of students with disabilities.
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Pa. could ban phone use in schools. When the rules would take effect.
Under the measure, districts would have to roll out their new ban by the start of the 2027-2028 academic year. Broadly speaking, these rules would have to keep students off their devices during the school day, but district officials would decide the specific manner of accomplishing this goal.
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Pennsylvania sees biggest school tax revenue jump in years
Pennsylvania schools collected more than $17.86 billion in property taxes in the last fiscal year, the biggest increase in collections in nearly a decade.
