Freedom For Our Students to Chart Their Own Course 

Home » Governor Shapiro’s Accomplishments » Freedom For Our Students to Chart Their Own Course 
An icon of a graduation cap.

Governor Shapiro is working to fully fund our public schools, expand higher education opportunities for students, support our teachers, and empower parents.  

The Shapiro Administration has made historic investments in public education, ensuring students have more resources and parents have a voice in their children’s education: 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget into law, which included a $567 million increase in basic education funding for Pennsylvania school districts and is the largest BEF increase in history. 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget that included a $50 million increase in special education funding to ensure every student has the resources they need to succeed in the classroom. 

Secured universal free breakfast for 1.7 million Pennsylvania public school students regardless of income after proposing the funding in his first budget.  

Secured $100 million in funding for school-based mental health counselors and resources for students.

Fulfilled his promise to appoint two parents to the State Board of Education to ensure parents have a seat at the table when it comes to their children’s education.

Lt. Governor Austin Davis walking school hallways with constituents.
Lt. Governor Austin Davis and the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency awarded $1.34 million through the First Chance Trust Fund Program to implement scholarship programs to support at-risk students in communities with prominent high school dropout and incarceration rates.  
Governor Shapiro speaking with department of Education employees.
Awarded more than $8 million in School Safety grants from the Department of Education to improve school safety at 166 schools and committed $4.8 million in Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency grants for Pennsylvania school employees to receive free safety and security trainings. 

The Governor worked hard to expand access to employment and educational opportunities after high school: 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget with a more than $33 million increase in funding for Pennsylvania’s State System of Higher Education and a $5.1 million increase to community colleges.  

Signed the FY2023-24 budget that invested more than $30 million to expand career and technical education in Pennsylvania classrooms and to increase apprenticeship opportunities. 

Governor Shapiro standing at a podium speaking to a crowd at Carnegie Mellon University.
Helped more students receive college credit while still in high school by awarding $6.7 million in grants to 100 schools for dual credit programs across the Commonwealth and signing a FY2023-24 budget with $7 million to support dual enrollment opportunities. 
Governor Josh Shapiro standing at a laptop with a student and a group of people in Millersville Pennsylvania.
Announced a new public-private partnership between the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) and Google to make industry-recognized Google Career Certificates available to students and the public to help them secure good-paying jobs.  

This administration has invested in training quality teachers and support staff: 

Signed the FY2023-24 budget that invested $10 million to provide Pennsylvania student teachers with annual stipends so the Commonwealth can train more quality teachers.  

Began to address the teacher shortage by awarding $1.5 million in grant money through the Department of Education for Pennsylvania higher education institutions to partner with local school districts to bolster the special education teacher workforce.  

Hear from Pennsylvanians about the Shapiro-Davis Administration’s Work: