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September 21, 2023 1:35 pm

Local News

PA Officials Spent $12.6M on Private Lawyers to Fight Challenge to State’s Education Funding

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State funds went to three private law firms, with legal bills spiking during a four-month trial in the case decrying state school funding.

Spotlight PA is an independent, nonpartisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News, TribLIVE/Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, and WITF Public Media. Sign up for our free newsletters.

Angela Couloumbis of Spotlight PA

HARRISBURG — A Pennsylvania court earlier this year found the state’s system for funding its public schools is inequitable and disproportionately harms poorer districts. It’s a landmark decision that is widely expected to cost billions of dollars to correct.

The legal battle could soon be over, but the years state officials have spent fighting the challenge have come with a high price tag.

The state legislature and the governor’s administration have spent upwards of $12.6 million to hire a bevy of private lawyers since 2019, records obtained through a Right-to-Know request show.

This article was originally published by PublicSource, a nonprofit newsroom serving the Pittsburgh region. Sign up for its free weekly newsletters here.