Bristol Township School District is among fifty school districts in the commonwealth that are poised to receive tax equity supplements from a total of $32 million in state funds, writes Kate Huangpu for WHYY.  

These tax equity supplements, ranging from $50,000 to $5 million, are targeted at districts where local taxes are disproportionately high compared to residents’ wealth. 

Bristol Township School District, which will receive a tax equity supplement of $487,762.41. Other nearby school districts include Norristown Area School District and Jenkintown School District in Montgomery County.  

The funds are intended to prevent further property tax hikes, improve existing tax reduction programs, and reduce district debt.  

This initiative follows a Commonwealth Court ruling that deemed Pennsylvania’s school funding system unconstitutionally inequitable, largely due to the reliance on property taxes.  

In response, state lawmakers, led by a bipartisan effort, have increased K-12 education funding by over $1 billion, with nearly half directed toward the state’s poorest districts. 

The $32 million tax equity supplement is a step towards addressing these disparities, offering relief to districts that have shouldered a significant tax burden while striving to deliver quality education.  

To read more about the tax equity supplement and see what other nearby districts benefitted, visit WHYY.  

Funding for school districts across PA may change