Governor Wolf targets major changes in education in his budget address. Here are some ideas presented today:

• Education is the heart of everything else

• During the past 4 years, we took a step backwards in supporting education

• The budget will restore 1 billion dollars in cuts that occurred in previous administration

• There will be increases at every grade level

• It expands access to Early Childhood Education

• It includes increases in funding to community colleges

• It asks institutions of higher education to freeze tuition

• Accountability measures will be put into place to make sure the money goes to classrooms

• It increases the State share for education to 50% up from the current level of 35%

• It calls for a fair funding formula which should be based on need rather than on politics

• We will pay for the increases in investment in education by applying a severance tax on natural gas which should generate 1 billion dollars

• Property taxes will be reduced by 50% as well