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    Summary of State Appropriations for Education

    The following file contains a summary of the funding levels for the state education appropriations in Governor Shapiro’s Proposed 2026-27 Fiscal Year Budget

    2026-27 Summary of State Appropriations (Excel)

    Basic Education Funding

    Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget includes $8,312,444,000 for the Basic Education Funding appropriation. This amount is a $50,000,000 (0.61%) increase over the 2025-26 enacted fiscal year appropriation to continue sustained investment in school district basic education programs.

    2026-27 Proposed Ba​sic Education Funding​ (Excel) 
    2025-26 Estimated Ba​sic Education Funding​ (Excel)

    Ready to Learn Block Grant

    Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget includes $1,948,481,000 for the Ready to Learn Block Grant.  This amount is a $565,000,000 increase (40.84%) over the 2025-26 fiscal year appropriation.  The proposed budget includes:

    • $1,383,402,000 for Ready to Learn Block Grant Foundation
    • $526,440,000 to provide an additional adequacy investment for K-12 education
    • $6,437,000 to provide an additional minimum adequacy supplement for K-12 education
    • $32,202,000 to provide an additional tax equity supplement for K-12 education

    2026-27 Proposed Ready to Learn Block Grant (Excel)
    2025-26 Ready to Learn Block Grant (Excel)

    Special Education Funding

    Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget includes $1,576,815,000 for the Special Education appropriation. This amount is a $50,000,000 increase (3.27%) over the 2025-26 fiscal year appropriation.

    For the Special Education Funding component, new dollars after the 2013-2014 fiscal year total approximately $514,250,000.

    2026-27 Proposed Special Education Funding​ (Excel)
    2025-26 Estimated Special Education Funding​ (Excel)

    The proposed 2026-27 fiscal year Special Education appropriation also includes funding of approximately $115,029,163 for the following components, per Pennsylvania School Code: Special Education Contingency Fund, Core Services funding to Intermediate Units, Institutionalized Children's Program funding, special education for wards of state students, and special education for students placed out of state.

    Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy

    Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget includes approximately $132,302,493 for the Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy.

    Governor Shapiro’s proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget includes approximately $132,340,000 for the Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy (SCTES).

    The formula for the SCTES ​​is described in section 2502.8 of the Pennsylvania Public School Code.

    Reimbursement is provided for the following vocational programs: agriculture education, distributive education, health occupations education, ho​​me economics education (gainful), business education, technical education, trade and industrial education, or any other occupational-oriented program approved by the Secretary of Education.

    The subsidy is calculated as ​follows:

    • ​Determine the vo​​cational average daily membership (VADM) by: multiplying the average daily membership of students in vocational programs in a career and technology center by 0.2990; multiplying the average daily membership of students in vocational programs in a school district (SD) or charter school by 0.2441.

    • Determine the based ​​earned for reimbursement (BER) using the state median actual instruction expense per weighted average daily membership (AIE/WADM) and the equalized mills (EqM):
      BER = State Median AIE/WADM – Highest EqM – SD EqM x $200
                                                                                           Highest EqM – Lowest EqM
       
    • The formula amount equals the lesser of the AIE/WADM or the BER multiplied by the greater of the market value/personal income aid ratio or 0.3750 multiplied by the VADM

    • Beginning in the 2019-20 fiscal year, payments will not be proportionately reduced in accordance with section 2502.8 (f).

    • Beginning in the 2024-25 fiscal year, data used for the calculation of the Secondary Career and Technical Education subsidy shall be based on the most recent years for which data is available by June 1 prior to the fiscal year.  

    2026-27 Proposed Secondary Career and Technical Education Subsidy​ (Excel)