IN THE COMMONWEALTH COURT OF PENNSYLVANIA William Penn School District; : Panther Valley School District; : The School District of Lancaster; : Greater Johnstown School District; : Wilkes-Barre Area School District; : Shenandoah Valley School District; : Jamella and Bryant Miller, parents of : K.M., a minor; Sheila Armstrong, : parent of S.A., minor; Tracey Hughes, : parent of P.M.H., minor; Pennsylvania : Association of Rural and Small Schools; : and The National Association for the : Advancement of Colored : People-Pennsylvania State Conference, : Petitioners : : v. : No. 587 M.D. 2014 : Pennsylvania Department of Education; : Kim L. Ward, in her official capacity : as President Pro-Tempore of the : Pennsylvania Senate; Joanna E. : McClinton, in her official capacity as : Speaker of the Pennsylvania House : of Representatives; Josh Shapiro, : in his official capacity as the Governor : of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania; : Pennsylvania State Board of Education; : and Dr. Khalid N. Mumin, in his : official capacity as Acting Secretary : of Education, : Respondents : BEFORE: HONORABLE RENÉE COHN JUBELIRER, President Judge OPINION BY PRESIDENT JUDGE COHN JUBELIRER FILED: February 7, 2023 TABLE OF CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ....................................................1 II. FINDINGS OF FACT .....................................................................................3 A. The Parties .............................................................................................3 B. Education Clause ...................................................................................8 C. The System ..........................................................................................21 1. The Department.........................................................................25 2. The State Board.........................................................................32 a. Master Plan .....................................................................34 b. Academic Standards .......................................................37 D. Types of Assessments .........................................................................43 1. State Assessment System ..........................................................43 2. ESSA Plan Goals ......................................................................57 3. PVAAS/Growth ........................................................................66 4. Future Ready PA Index .............................................................69 5. Attainment .................................................................................72 6. Other Measures .........................................................................73 E. Funding of the System.........................................................................74 1. Federal Funding ........................................................................76 2. State Funding ............................................................................80 3. Local Funding ...........................................................................97 4. Local School District Budgeting...............................................97 F. Fact Witnesses ...................................................................................102 1. State Board and Department witnesses ...................................102 2. David Donley ..........................................................................116 3. Greater Johnstown...................................................................118 4. Panther Valley .........................................................................152 5. Lancaster .................................................................................193 6. Shenandoah Valley .................................................................244 ii 7. Wilkes-Barre ...........................................................................268 8. William Penn...........................................................................306 9. Philadelphia .............................................................................344 10. Otto-Eldred..............................................................................374 11. PARSS ....................................................................................381 12. Springfield Township..............................................................384 13. Charter Schools .......................................................................390 a. Commonwealth Charter Academy ...............................391 b. 21st Century Academy .................................................400 14. Logos Academy ......................................................................405 15. NAACP-PA .............................................................................411 G. Expert Witnesses ...............................................................................415 1. Petitioners................................................................................415 a. Derek Black ..................................................................415 b. Matthew G. Kelly .........................................................418 c. Steven Barnett...............................................................446 d. Pedro Noguera ..............................................................456 e. Clive Belfield ................................................................468 f. Rucker Johnson.............................................................480 2. Respondents ............................................................................500 a. Christine Rossell ...........................................................500 b. Jason Willis...................................................................506 c. Abel Koury ...................................................................539 d. Max Eden ......................................................................547 e. Eric Alan Hanushek ......................................................556 H. Effect of Funding Scheme on Low Wealth Districts ........................569 III. WHETHER PETITIONERS HAVE FAILED TO JOIN INDISPENSIBLE PARTIES................................................................................................................605 IV. WHETHER THE WRONG PARTIES WERE SUED................................611 V. PENNSYLVANIA’S EDUCATION CLAUSE ..........................................616 iii VI. DEFINING “A THOROUGH AND EFFICIENT SYSTEM OF PUBLIC EDUCATION TO SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMONWEALTH” ........617 A. Parties’ Arguments ............................................................................617 1. Petitioners................................................................................617 2. Legislative Respondents .........................................................619 3. Executive Respondents ...........................................................623 4. State Board ..............................................................................624 5. Petitioners’ Reply....................................................................624 6. Amici .......................................................................................626 B. Discussion .........................................................................................627 1. Plain Language........................................................................628 2. History .....................................................................................634 3. Other Jurisdictions ..................................................................636 VII. MEASURING WHETHER RESPONDENTS ARE FULFILLING THEIR …
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