PA election 2026: Where Shapiro, Garrity stand on school funding, vouchers, and other education issues
This story was originally published by Spotlight PA. Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan, and nonprofit newsroom producing investigative and public-service journalism that holds power to account and drives positive change in Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania will spend nearly 40% of its $50.8 billion budget on education this year. The size of that obligation,…
Pennsylvania's education budget, a significant portion of the state's $50.8 billion annual spending, continues to be a key focus of the 2026 gubernatorial race. Incumbent Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro has prioritized increased funding for public schools and private school vouchers, while Republican nominee Stacy Garrity emphasizes alternatives to public schools and issues related to higher education.
Shapiro's track record includes a 6% increase in funding for Pennsylvania's public colleges and community colleges, as well as expanded funding for student grants and scholarships. He has also proposed a performance-based funding pool for the state-related universities, which seeks to distribute aid based on student success metrics like graduation rates and workforce alignment. However, state lawmakers have only allocated a portion of the requested $30 million.
Garrity, on the other hand, advocates for job opportunities for college graduates, particularly in the energy industry, which she believes could create 200,000 good-paying jobs during her administration. She also supports fully subjecting state-related universities to the state's Right-to-Know Law, similar to other public institutions.
Written by urgent.news from Chalkbeat's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
