Gov. Tom Wolf: After years of Pa. budget uncertainty, we have turned the tide

When I took office in 2015, Pennsylvania was in bad fiscal shape. I inherited a $2 billion to $3 billion deficit, and the commonwealth’s fiscal instability was causing a cascade of harm. Schools, in particular, had been hit with awful budget cuts.

That bad financial state had terrible consequences for students, who lost out on important educational opportunities, and for taxpayers, who saw property taxes soar because the state wasn’t living up to its responsibility to fund our schools.

When I toured the commonwealth, everyone I met — students, teachers, parents, community leaders — all asked for one thing: help.

When I took office, I knew we had to do things differently. I knew we could never move our commonwealth forward by shortchanging the services Pennsylvanians rely on.

I vowed to be a force for change, and I am proud to say that over the past seven and a half years, we have turned the tide.

» READ MORE: Gov. Wolf and Pa.’s remarkable budget turnaround | Editorial

I have increased funding for education every year since I took office. Last year, I oversaw a historic $416 million increase in education funding which — at that time — was the largest single-year investment in education in Pennsylvania history.

This year, we are blowing that record-breaking investment out of the water with a $1.8 billion commitment to education from pre-K through college.

This is a watershed moment for our students and our schools in Pennsylvania. It will put more resources in underserved classrooms so every student can get a high-quality education, no matter their zip code. It will create more opportunities for working-class students to get a higher education. It will give local communities the chance to reduce their reliance on sky-high property taxes.

This year’s $1.8 billion investment in a better education for all includes:

“I have increased education funding by more than $3.7 billion.”

All told, I have increased education funding by more than $3.7 billion during my two terms in office. I couldn’t have done it without the hard work and advocacy of parents, teachers, and administrators across Pennsylvania. You stood up each day and demanded better for your students, your schools, and your communities. By working together, we’ve put much-needed resources back into classrooms and communities across Pennsylvania.

This $3.7 billion increase in education funding is an investment in our kids. It’s also an investment in our future because when Pennsylvanians have the resources they need to succeed, our entire commonwealth succeeds along with them.

It’s my hope that this momentum continues so that all of our students have the tools and resources they need for the best education and a bright future because education is the cornerstone that our future success is built upon. When every student — no matter their zip code or background — can get a high-quality education, Pennsylvania has more engaged citizens, more prepared leaders, a more educated workforce, and a stronger potential for economic growth. I want Pennsylvania’s classrooms to be the best in the world. Our students deserve it, and our commonwealth’s future depends on it.

We still have a long way to go to ensure all schools across Pennsylvania are fully and fairly funded, but when I look back at my first year as governor, at those conversations with parents and teachers and students in need, I am proud of how far we have come. I’m proud that I could help — but I’m far more proud of what Pennsylvania’s students have accomplished, and I can’t wait to see what they will accomplish next.

Tom Wolf is the 47th governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.