PA Gov. Shapiro to emphasize funding for state’s poorest school districts in his 1st budget to the Legislature

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s first budget to the Legislature is expected to target the state’s poorest school districts. Shapiro also plans to make the state more competitive for tech firms.

Shapiro, a Democrat, will address a joint session of the House and Senate late Tuesday morning.

Perhaps the most prominent feature of Shapiro's budget will be what he called a "down payment" on the billions of dollars that public school allies say are necessary to comply with a court decision that found Pennsylvania’s school funding system violates the constitutional rights of students in the poorest districts.