Titusville, PA – Today, Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Dr. Carrie Rowe toured a student-run manufacturing business called Rockets Manufacturing that prepares students for in-demand jobs with local employers – a project directly supported by Governor Josh Shapiro’s historic investments in public education and bipartisan budgets that have driven out $1.9 billion to the schools that need them most.
At the Titusville Area School District, 60 students are designing, building and selling machine parts for local manufacturers in a student-run manufacturing enterprise. The Rockets Manufacturing program – which includes paid opportunities for students – is growing toward a self-sustaining model that can support its expenses with generated revenue.
“When schools have adequate resources, that’s when you see the creativity of teachers and the curiosity of students come together in meaningful projects like Rockets Manufacturing. These students are earning money, learning job-related skills, and building relationships with employers in their own community thanks to Governor Shapiro’s commitment to equitable education funding,” said Secretary Rowe.
Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, Pennsylvania has increased funding for Pennsylvania’s schools by more than $3 billion – or 35 percent – since the Governor took office, for a total of $11.85 billion invested into Pennsylvania’s students this year. For the Titusville Area School District, state funding has increased by 22.8 percent since 2023 – including nearly $1.8 million in adequacy funding over three years through the bipartisan formula driving dollars to historically underfunded school districts.
Adequacy funding has supported the Rockets Manufacturing program since its launch in the 2024-25 school year. Other Shapiro Administration investments – including a $140,000 Career and Technical Education PDE grant earlier this year and $300,000 from the Department of Economic and Community Development through the Manufacturing PA Training-to-Career Grant Program – are making it possible for the district to build a program that eventually generates enough revenue to sustain itself.
“We are incredibly proud of our students and the innovative, hands-on learning opportunities provided through Rockets Manufacturing. The Ready to Learn adequacy funding has been instrumental in making this student-run manufacturing enterprise possible, giving our students the resources and experiences they need to develop valuable skills for their future. We are also deeply grateful for the collaboration and investment of our local manufacturing partners, whose support helps connect classroom learning to real-world opportunities,” said Stephanie Keebler, Superintendent of the Titusville Area School District. “It is an honor to welcome Secretary of Education, Dr. Carrie Rowe, to the Titusville Area School District and showcase what can happen when the state and our local school board work together to provide opportunities for our students.”
With the help of Shapiro Administration adequacy funding, Titusville Area School District has also hired a career counselor and several social workers – none of which would have been possible without investments from the Commonwealth, including nearly $5 million in Ready to Learn Block Grant funding since 2024.
Ready to Learn funding – which includes the adequacy supplement for historically underfunded school districts – is distributed each year to school districts and charter schools in a grant that can be used to enhance educational opportunities for students through a long list of acceptable uses. A separate category of Ready to Learn funding is the tax equity supplement available to qualifying school districts, which can use those dollars to stabilize district finances and mitigate the impact of school taxes on residents.
The Governor’s continued, historic investments in education give every Pennsylvania student the freedom to chart their own course — ensuring schools have the resources they need to help students succeed and families have access to affordable early learning opportunities.
This 2026-27 budget builds on the progress we’ve made over the past three years, providing an overall increase in education funding totaling more than $678 million, including a $565 million increase through the bipartisan adequacy and tax equity formula, a $58 million increase for Basic Education Funding, and a $55 million increase for Special Education Funding. It also continues funding for school infrastructure improvements, universal free breakfast, and mental health in schools.
Historically underfunded school districts all over Pennsylvania are finally receiving the resources they need from the state to plan ahead, hire staff and ensure their students have access to the high-quality education they deserve. Like the Titusville Area School District, the following school districts in Northwest Pennsylvania have received additional state funding through the bipartisan adequacy and tax equity formula since 2024-25.
BUTLER COUNTY
Butler Area School District: $14,935,434
Karns City School District: $1,965,166
Knoch School District: $1,159,305
Mars Area School District: $4,986,885
Moniteau School District: $2,057,004
Seneca Valley School District: $3,068,238
Slippery Rock Area School District: $3,449,210
CLARION COUNTY
Allegheny-Clarion Valley School District: $604,467
Clarion Area School District: $1,479,355
Clarion-Limestone Area School District: $1,301,405
Keystone School District: $2,362,284
North Clarion County School District: $1,296,074
Redbank Valley School District: $3,020,242
Union School District: $1,708,567
CRAWFORD COUNTY
Conneaut School District: $1,428,078
Crawford Central School District: $7,321,061
Penncrest School District: $2,008,707
ERIE COUNTY
Corry Area School District: $6,618,697
Erie City School District: $74,529,071
Fairview School District: $4,104,237
Fort LeBoeuf School District: $4,250,764
General McLane School District: $2,874,889
Girard School District: $2,317,482
Harbor Creek School District: $3,592,850
Iroquois School District: $5,563,492
Millcreek Township School District: $9,693,395
North East School District: $4,349,010
Northwestern School District: $2,389,368
Union City Area School District: $1,987,909
Wattsburg Area School District: $1,981,312
FOREST COUNTY
Forest Area School District: $456,138
LAWRENCE COUNTY
Ellwood City Area School District: $3,358,526
Laurel School District: $915,429
Mohawk Area School District: $2,671,137
Neshannock Township School District: $1,486,763
New Castle Area School District: $9,967,552
Shenango Area School District: $796,395
Union Area School District: $1,014,244
Wilmington Area School District: $1,080,159
MERCER COUNTY
Commodore Perry School District: $451,695
Farrell Area School District: $1,058,559
Greenville Area School District: $2,840,135
Grove City Area School District: $1,171,617
Hermitage School District: $7,079,218
Jamestown Area School District: $449,182
Lakeview School District: $813,882
Mercer Area School District: $2,729,645
Reynolds School District: $1,052,388
Sharon City School District: $5,269,308
Sharpsville Area School District: $3,976,193
West Middlesex Area School District: $707,640
VENANGO COUNTY
Cranberry Area School District: $3,402,951
Franklin Area School District: $5,148,796
Oil City Area School District: $5,176,622
Titusville Area School District: $4,898,698
Valley Grove School District: $2,057,387
WARREN COUNTY
Warren County School District: $5,911,911
Under Governor Shapiro’s leadership, graduation rates across the Commonwealth have risen for 3 years in a row, more new teachers are being certified, and Consumer Affairs ranks Pennsylvania as one of the top states for quality public education in the country.