Conestoga High School, Berwyn PA, 19312
Volume 73 No. 5
March 20, 2023
Wayne Art Center Welcomes guests to Expressions of Radnor
Pennsylvania needs the Student Journalism Protection Act
Victory lap: Boys and girls swim enjoy success at districts
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PagE 8
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commonwealth court sides with public schools Pennsylvania’s public school funding system ruled unconstitutional
Ben Shapiro/The SPOKE
Fair funding: The Tredyffrin/Easttown School District is in the top 1% of public school districts by expenditure-per-student ratio in the state, while the William Penn School District is in the bottom 25%. Penn Wood High School of the William Penn School District sued the commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
By Ben Shapiro and Remington Vaughan, News Editor and Staff Reporter Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer ruled that Pennsylvania has failed to equitably fund public schools. On Feb. 7, 2023, Jubelirer wrote in her ruling that “Students who reside in school districts with low property values and incomes are deprived of the same opportunities and resources as students who
reside in school districts with high property values and incomes.” Six school districts — Greater Johnstown Area, Lancaster, Panther Valley, Wilkes-Barre Area, William Penn and Shenandoah Valley — along with the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools, the NAACP of Pennsylvania and individual families came together as plaintiffs to fight the disparities within the current funding system. “The plaintiffs (were) interested in seeing a funding system that more equitably provides for educational resources for students,”
said Kati Robson of O’Melveny & Myers LLP, the counsel representing the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs originally brought the case to the Commonwealth Court in 2014 in William Penn School District, et al. v. Pennsylvania Department of Education, et al. However, the judge ruled that the case was non-justiciable, or incapable of being decided by legal principles or a court. “Respondents originally filed preliminary objections to the Petition for Review, alleging, among other things, that this matter in-
volved political questions and, thus, was not justiciable under separation of powers principles,” Judge Jubelirer wrote in her ruling. The respondents included the Pennsylvania Department of Education, the Pennsylvania State Board of Education, the Pennsylvania Senate and House of Representatives, and then-Governor Tom Wolf. The plaintiffs appealed the 2015 ruling to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court which ruled that the case was, in fact, justiciable and sent it back down to the Commonwealth Court.
Once the court allowed the plaintiffs to make their case, the plaintiffs brought forward their main claim: that the Fair Funding Formula — the method by which Pennsylvania determines the funds it gives to each public school district — negatively affects school districts across the state. According to the House Appropriations Committee, the Basic Education Funding Commission’s Fair Funding Formula is student-based, meaning a district’s share of state funding is tied to its share of the student population. However, each school dis-
trict is not given the same funding per student. “It (the Fair Funding Formula) is not a perfect formula. There’s a lot of districts that do not fare well from that, and there’s other districts that fare extremely well from it. It’s probably an unnecessary evil, if you will, where at least something’s in place to fund schools,” said Dr. Edward Albert, the Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Association of Rural and Small Schools. According to Robson, the process to create a more equitable system of funding started with two steps. The first was to prosecute the
proposition that children in Pennsylvania had the right to a certain standard of education — the definition of which is currently in contention. Then, the plaintiffs had to prove that the state was not meeting its constitutionally-required standard of education in some school districts as a direct result of the funding mechanisms. “We are very gratified by the court’s decision that students in Pennsylvania have a fundamental right to a thorough and efficient system of education,” Robson said. Continued on page 3.
Fire companies receive grants Sowmya Krishna Staff Reporter
Faith Zantua/The SPOKE
Paving the way: Bikers, walkers and joggers use the Chester Valley Trail. On March 13, Montgomery County opened a new extension to the trail which connects it to Philadelphia through the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown.
Chester Valley Trail extended Faith Zantua Staff Reporter
Montgomery County added almost four miles to the 14.7mile Chester Valley Trail that previously stretched from Exton to King of Prussia. The new extension links the CVT to the Schuylkill River Trail in Norristown, which now connects Exton and Philadelphia. The CVT had 13.5 miles open in Chester County and 1.2 miles open in Montgomery County before the extension. It is paved in asphalt and is part of Greater Philadelphia’s Circuit Trails, a regional network of multi-use trails. Some Chester and Montgomery County residents use the trail for walking, cycling
and skating. Sophomore Aditya Kothari uses the trail often. “There’s a little pathway connecting my neighborhood to the Chester Valley Trail,” Kothari said. “I usually walk down, exit my neighborhood and enter the trail. So (it) really links me with fitness and helps me stay connected.” Montgomery County’s division of Parks, Trails and Historic Sites manages the extension. Construction began in spring 2020, and its planned cost was just over $13 million. County, private foundation and state funds — including money from the federal Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program — covered the cost. The CVT and the Schuylkill River Trail are the most-used
Circuit trails. The Schuylkill River Trail is a 75-mile path with a section from Philadelphia to Parker Ford, Pennsylvania. With the extension, the CVT extends from Exton, through Upper Merion and Bridgeport, to the Schuylkill River Trail, ultimately leading to Philadelphia. The project also included building three pedestrian bridges located on South Gulph, Henderson and Boro Line Roads. Another reason for the project was to improve transportation and fitness opportunities for local residents. Kothari is one of the residents interested in using the extension. “I would definitely use that (trail extension),” Kothari said. “I’ve used the Schuylkill River
Trail before, and I liked that trail, but it was hard to access from my house. So, if the Chester Valley Trail and the Schuylkill River Trail (were) connected, I think that would be a great plus.” The addition’s opening ceremony was on March 13, marking the beginning of public use of the extension. Mark Carberry, varsity Track and Field coach, finds the project to be beneficial for distance-running athletes. “Opening up (the CVT) to expand more property is fantastic for all runners of all ages,” Carberry said. “So if there’s anything that is going to allow our kids more space and something new to see, we want to take advantage of everything we can.”
In early February, Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration granted $148,208 to seven fire companies and emergency service providers within Chester and Delaware Counties. The money will go to the Paoli, Valley Forge Volunteer, Malvern, Radnor, Newtown Square, Berwyn and Goshen Fire Companies. Most of the companies will utilize the money for both fire and emergency medical services. “This is kind of a unique opportunity that we were able to get a hold of. It’s not something that is typically available every year,” said Brian Zimmerman, executive director of the Radnor Fire Company.
According to Zimmerman, the grant funds will advance members’ education and allow them to go from an EMT-Basic to an advanced EMT. An advanced EMT can provide more sophisticated medical care than a basic EMT. “An EMT-Basic is splinting (and) putting oxygen on — things of that nature. An advanced EMT can do a few more things. They can start an IV (or) they can give some medication,” Zimmerman said. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many fire companies are going through an EMS staffing crisis. Since there is a low availability of paramedics, advancing the education of existing members is important in providing citizens with the care they need.
The Berwyn Fire Company, however, has a different approach to how it will utilize the funds. Its plan is to replace its current fire house on 23 Bridge Ave. and build a completely new one. Much of the grant money will go toward funding that project. Due to the rising prices of fuel, it is also allotting another significant portion of the funds for the gas budget. Justin Brundage, fire chief at the Berwyn Fire Company, believes that these state grants will be an asset to the general community and will allow for greater safety and emergency regulations. “It will help by having us properly equipped, trained and staffed to respond to emergencies,” Brundage said. “I mean, that’s what we do.”
Sowmya Krishna/The SPOKE
Ready for action: An EMS squad vehicle sits parked in front of the Paoli Fire Company, ready to provide quick assistance to community members. The Paoli Fire Company was one of the seven local companies that received state grants.