web1_mcfeattersannmct.jpg

Their view: Money spent on Trump’s parade could be put to better use

web1_file.jpeg

Sweet success: Cupcake company launches new location

<p>Wilkes-Barre Area School District would again be the biggest local winner in Gov. Tom Wolf&#8217;s proposed state education budget, nabbing $1.2 million more in state money for basic and special education subsidies.</p><p>Despite being the county&#8217;s largest district by enrollment &#8212; and in money spent each year &#8212; Hazleton Area School District would get the second biggest increase locally, with state money going up by $842,848 for basic and special education.</p><p>All told, state money for Luzerne County&#8217;s 11 districts and Tunkhannock Area in neighboring Wyoming County would rise from nearly $185.9 million to about $189.3 million, a net increase of $3.46 million.</p><p>As is usually the case, the area&#8217;s smallest district by enrollment, Northwest Area, would see the smallest dollar increase, at $28,877.</p><p>Wolf, a Democrat, campaigned in 2014 with promises to not only restore education cuts made under Gov. Tom Corbett, but to increase state money for public schools.</p><p>Through it all, Wolf has managed to increase education spending, from about $12.8 billion in 2016-17 to $13.24 billion this fiscal year &#8212; despite an extremely rocky start in his first year, when he vetoed a budget passed by the Republican-controlled Legislature. That launched what became the state&#8217;s longest budget battle &#8212; 267 days without a full budget.</p><p>Last year a budget was technically passed by the June 30 legal deadline, but it lacked a mechanism for fully funding the proposed $32 billion in spending. It took until November for the Legislature to offer a plan to fill a $2.2 billion shortfall, and critics questioned some of the choices, including more legalized gambling and borrowing against the state&#8217;s share of a nationwide tobacco settlement.</p><p>Wolf&#8217;s latest proposal increases basic education state funding by $100 million and special education funding by $20 million.</p><style>
.neFileBlock {
	margin-bottom: 20px;
}
.neFileBlock p {
	margin: 0px 0px 0px 0px;
}
.neFileBlock .neFile {
	border-bottom: 1px dotted #aaa;
	padding-bottom: 5px;
	padding-top: 10px;
}
.neFileBlock .neCaption {
	font-size: 85%;
}
</style>
<div class='neFileBlock'>
<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_ed-budget-2-8-2018-1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption"></div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/web1_ed-budget-2-8-2018-1.jpg</photo0><caption0></caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Local districts get nearly $3.5 million more in proposed state budget