FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Dionne Watts-Williams / 215-713-4875 / press@powerinterfaith.org
Faith Leaders Organize Across PA to Support Fair School Funding Amid National Attacks
Philadelphia, PA (April 3, 2025) – Faith leaders, parents, educators, and students across Pennsylvania are organizing a series of community-led Town Halls to demand full and fair funding for public schools—and to push back against the growing national movement to dismantle public education. Hosted by POWER Interfaith, a statewide coalition of faith communities committed to racial and economic justice, these events will bring together local constituents and over a dozen state legislators to advocate for equitable school funding.
To pass legislation and a budget that provides Full and Fair funding for public schools, the state legislature must:
- Pass legislation that codifies closing the adequacy gap over a four year time period.
- Legislate a $1 billion increase in adequacy funding each year for the next 4 years to achieve full, adequate public school funding starting with the 2025-2026 school year.
This sustained investment is necessary to guarantee fully funded, high-quality public education across the commonwealth. With public education under direct attack, faith leaders are standing up to protect this vital public resource.
The Trump administration’s unconstitutional attempt to abolish the U.S. Department of Education and weaken its ability to do its job is an attack on public education. This move by the administration puts our children at risk.
“We are using our collective voice in talks with state lawmakers to ensure that the dignity and future of every child in Pennsylvania is a priority,” said Rev. Dr. Gregory Edwards, Executive Director of POWER Interfaith.“Our faith leaders are proud to stand alongside parents, students, and educators who are experiencing the consequences of historically underfunded schools in real time. Our lawmakers need to do everything they can to protect public education. Anything short of fully funding every public school across the state is a moral failure and our children deserve better.”
Town Halls Locations & Dates:
- Northwest Philadelphia (April 6)
- Chester County (April 24)
- Lancaster County (April 27)
- Pottstown (April 29)
- Ambler (May 1)
- Allentown (May 1)
- Levittown (May 1)
These Town Halls will center the moral urgency of educational justice—grounded in the belief that every child, regardless of race, class, or zip code, deserves a fully funded, quality education. More than local events, they are part of a growing statewide movement to call on PA legislators to make historic investment in public education and to rectify the decades of systemic neglect that pre-dates the current federal administration.
Full details about the town halls can be found at www.powerinterfaith.org/calendar.
