Newspaper: PA must change the way it funds schools

Republican lawmakers are pushing for the elimination of property taxes in Pennsylvania. Democrats want a new way to fund public education.

That is the $10 billion dilemma that has been facing Harrisburg for decades.

The two sides should be working together, says The Mercury in its editorial, "Tax-reform plan and school funding formula should go hand-in-hand"

From the editorial:

It's time for a bi-partisan solution. The local tax burden and shortfalls in school funding go hand in hand. But every time resolution draws near, legislators on both sides back down for fear of losing local control of schools if the state holds the purse strings.

This is not about losing control, it’s about fixing a broken system. The two issues of tax reform and school funding go hand in hand. Why not reach across the aisle and join them?

Read the full editorial here.