Governor Wolf signs budget to sustain education, support communities amid pandemic

• Ed Arke
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• Staff
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  Staff reporting

(Harrisburg)—Governor Wolf signed a state budget on Friday.  The spending plan provides 12 months of public education funding at 2019-20 levels and invests in counties and other programs to help restore the economy.

The budget won approval in the Republican-controlled legislature, but only funds much of the state’s operating budget lines through November 30.

The $25.75 billion dollar General Fund budget includes an additional $2.6 billion in federal funding provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act, known as the CARES Act.  The budget maintains funding at current year levels for Pre-K Counts and Head Start, basic and special education in K-12 schools and higher education at state-supported universities.  The budget also provides $300 million from the CARES Act to make up for a decline in gaming revenue that annually supports school property tax relief for homeowners.

To help communities to recover, the budget provides $420 million to assist nursing homes with COVID-19-related costs, $50 million to help Pennsylvanians with food insecurity and $225 million for grants to small businesses through the Department of Community and Economic Development.

The budget also provides $625 million to counties through block grants to help address disruption to their budgets from the pandemic.  The funding will assist counties with the cost of purchasing personal protective equipment, help local governments, and provide grants to small businesses, among other options.