It was a pleasure to meet Pennsylvania State Representative Gina H. Curry
It was a pleasure to meet Pennsylvania State Representative Gina H. Curry of the 164th district, who was sworn in earlier this year for her second term. A member of the House Committee on Education, Rep. Curry has been a key figure in bringing educational equity to the forefront of legislative priorities.
In the previous session, she was involved in various efforts to further this cause, notably her sponsorship of HB 1167. Created by Rep. Michael Schlossberg (D-132), the bill – memoed “Level Up for Equitable School Funding” – amends the PA Public School Code of 1949. It was designed to address funding disparities among Pennsylvania public schools, with underfunded districts disproportionately serving “the Commonwealth’s students of color, students living in poverty, students with disabilities, and English learners.” Previously, a 2014 commission unanimously concluded that the formula for distributing Basic Education Funding (BEF) resources was flawed, and ought to be reformed to consider “relative wealth, local tax effort, geographic price differences, enrollment levels, local support as well as other factors.”
The new BEF formula, however, only impacted educational spending allocations since its implementation. HB 1167 acknowledged this, recognizing that, despite the formula, it would take decades or more for the most under-resourced districts to reach “adequate” levels of funding. The bill’s provisions were intended to remedy the minimal and thinly-stretched nature of BEF allocations. Additionally, it created another funding program which specifically targets the districts which make up the bottom quintile of resource recipients. Though these districts represent a small portion of all Pennsylvania students, Rep. Schlossberg noted in his initial co-sponsorship memorandum that they serve:
- 65% of Pennsylvania’s Black students
- 58% of Pennsylvania’s Latinx students
- 58% of Pennsylvania’s students in poverty
- 64% of Pennsylvania’s English learners
- 35% of Pennsylvania’s students with disabilities
- 32% of Pennsylvania’s total student population
The Level Up program has been a bright spot of effective, pragmatic policy in Pennsylvania’s educational system, which has otherwise been hindered by a polarized and sometimes sluggish political climate. The 2021-22 budget included a bipartisan provision for it, designating a $100 million Equity Supplement for the the aforementioned group of schools.
Among Rep. Curry’s other accomplishments include the passage of HB 1075 in the 2021-22 session, which she co-sponsored. The bill established the Pennsylvanaia Broadband Development Authority to ensure that internet service expansion included coverage for businesses, students, and families in rural areas and certain urban communities.
Rep. Curry also organized and led a Fall 2022 live-panel series which discussed equity in education and student mental health awareness, and gathered a national coalition of educators, activists, and innovators to contribute.