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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2025 - 2026
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | December 2, 2024 10:24 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Tracy Pennycuick |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Public School Financial Transparency |
| In the near future, I plan to reintroduce last sessions Senate Bill 196, which will modernize data reporting and increase the transparency of Pennsylvania’s taxpayer-funded public schools. Our public schools are collectively spending billions of taxpayer dollars each year, and taxpayers in Pennsylvania deserve user-friendly access to the financial information concerning our public school system. While the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has taken steps to add public school fiscal information to the School Performance Profiles of school districts, charter and cyber charter schools, and area vocational-technical schools, it is not available in a centralized location with a user-friendly format. My bill would establish a searchable database, similar to PENNWATCH, providing detailed information on the revenues and expenses of school districts, charter and cyber charter schools, and area vocational-technical schools. It will not result in any new reporting requirements or costs to public schools. With more eyes on where taxpayer dollars are being spent, we can improve fiscally responsible decision-making in school budgets and ensure the highest level of transparency for our hard-working taxpayers. Please join me in supporting increased fiscal responsibility and transparency in our public school system. |