The 2015-16 budget that the Governor is allowing to become law will permit schools that have been pushed to the brink by the budget impasse to remain open and their students to complete this academic year.

But make no mistake: this budget does not solve the state’s long-term school funding crisis. The threshold for a successful school funding system should not be whether there is enough money for schools to keep their doors open and the lights on. It is about whether there are sufficient resources so that all students – no matter where they live – can succeed in school and meet the state’s academic standards.

The Governor and legislature must immediately turn their attention to the 2016-17 budget. They must work together to enact the fair school funding formula recommended by the bipartisan Basic Education Funding Commission and pass an on-time budget for 2016-17 that makes a significant investment in our public schools next year of at least $400 million and provides adequate revenues to support that investment.

Every school year counts for a student. We cannot allow Pennsylvania’s children to endure another school year without solving the state’s education funding crisis.