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HARRISBURG, PA (November 12, 2025) — The Pennsylvania Legislature has approved a 2025-26 state budget that is now headed to Gov. Josh Shapiro’s desk for his signature.

This budget includes:

• A $565 million increase for public schools, which is the second installment in the adequacy and tax equity payments needed to fix Pennsylvania’s unconstitutional school funding system.
• A $105 million increase in basic education funding for all public schools.
• A $40 million increase in special education funding for all public schools.
• $178 million in cyber charter tuition savings for public school districts.
• $30 million for the student teacher stipend program to pay student teachers for the work they do during their 12-week student teaching experience.
• $125 million for school facilities, with at least $25 million set aside for Solar for Schools.
• $100 million for school safety and mental health grants.

PSEA President Aaron Chapin issued the following statement:

“We commend Gov. Shapiro and lawmakers from both parties for once again showing a remarkably strong commitment to public education in this budget.

“This responsible, balanced plan reflects a spirit of compromise, while taking another major step toward fixing our unconstitutional public school funding system and supporting this year’s class of student teachers.

“Since he was sworn in as governor, Josh Shapiro has worked with legislators of both parties to secure more than $2 billion in new funding to help students across Pennsylvania. This commonsense leadership is creating smaller class sizes, an expansion of early childhood education, and historic resources for our most underfunded schools.

“Given the blatant attacks on public education throughout the country, Pennsylvania has shown what we can achieve with a bipartisan vision for the future that values our students, schools, and educators.

“Now that this budget is close to final, public school educators and their students are eager to see state funding start flowing to their schools to support critical educational programs, after-school enrichment, early childhood education, and many other services. We hope that the commonwealth will expedite state funding payments to all public schools so that they can continue to meet the educational needs of their students.”

Chapin is a Stroudsburg Area middle school teacher and president of PSEA. An affiliate of the National Education Association, PSEA represents about 177,000 active and retired educators and school employees, aspiring educators, higher education staff, and health care workers in Pennsylvania.