From Cutback to Comeback - A Path Forward for Scranton and Its School District - Report

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah

A strategic report for Scranton and its school district outlines decades of population decline tied to the anthracite coal downturn and emphasizes that public schools are central to community prosperity and stability. It argues Pennsylvania has underfunded K-12 education, leaving low-income districts with a severe “double whammy.” Following a 2019 state recovery plan that stabilized finances by reducing educational quality, it prescribes restoring critical programming and adopting community schools, backed by federal relief and stronger state action.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages29

Reading Time1 h 13 min

AccessFree to download

Executive Summary

Population decline and the need for renewal

Threats to Scranton’s public school system

Recovery plan trade-offs and impacts on quality

Prescription: federal resources, community schools, and state action

From Cutback to Comeback: A Path Forward for Scranton and Its School District November 2021 From Cutback to Comeback: A Path Forward for Scranton and Its School District By: Stephen Herzenberg, Diana Polson, and Eugene Henninger-Voss | November 2021 Executive Summary The City of Scranton has struggled for decades—its population loss started earlier than in other small Pennsylvania cities because of the decline of anthracite coal. Relative to the 1940-1990 period, Scranton’s population has stabilized in recent decades. With efforts at economic diversification beginning to bear fruit, and more people, young and old, seeking the amenities and excitement of a city, Scranton has caught a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel—a chance to break from irreversible decline. The opportunity to restore prosperity to the city may be as great now as at any point since the 1930s. Its chances will improve if Scranton can capitalize on the unprecedented federal emergency relief provided to schools and communities in the pandemic and its wake. To do so, Scranton must recognize and address the threat to the city’s public school system. Great public schools are the lifeblood of any thriving community, attracting and retaining families and businesses. Public schools can be even more important to low-income communities, a stabilizing influence and a hub that leverages and delivers other social supports, such as health care, housing assistance, recreational activities, and facilities for community groups and events. Yet Scranton’s schools have been under attack and undercut by misguided state policies. State funding is critical to Scranton because, as a low-income community, it has a limited tax base and a student body that research shows is more expensive to educate (with two-thirds of students eligible for free or reduced-price lunch) . Yet for decades, Pennsylvania has underfunded its K-12 education. The state now ranks a woeful 45th out of 50 in state share of education funding. With districts relying heavily on local tax revenues, a huge gap exists between affluent suburban districts and lowincome rural and urban districts. Lower-income districts like Scranton end up with a double whammy of high tax rates and underfunded schools that is a dagger at the heart of community revitalization efforts. Today, per-pupil spending in Scranton School District ranks 31st-lowest out of the state’s 500 school districts. Moreover, these figures do not take into account that Scranton’s student population requires more supports than a more privileged student population would. In 2019, with the district in perilous financial condition, the state appointed a recovery officer charged with guiding the District back to financial health. Unfortunately, the implementation of the resulting recovery plan has achieved financial stabilization at the expense of educational quality, jeopardizing the long-term well-being of the school system and the city. Several of the cost-cutting measures implemented under the plan directly sacrifice educational programming that research shows increases achievement, especially for low-income children: • Pre-kindergarten programs have been cut. • Class sizes have increased. • Inflation-adjusted teacher salaries have fallen and starting teachers in Scranton now make 14% less than in neighboring districts, increasing turnover and vacancies. Teacher pay in Scranton has also declined relative to overall wage levels in Pennsylvania for all workers—starting teachers are now making 10% less than a typical (i.e., median-wage) worker who works full time, full year. The Recovery Plan has recognized—on paper—the need for more competitive salaries to attract and retain great teachers. Paradoxically, the Plan proposed to pay for salary increases through cuts in benefits, elimination of extra pay when teachers pick up extra classes, and increases in workloads that give teachers less time to prepare their classes or evalu

FAQs

What does the report identify as the main driver of Scranton’s long-term decline?

The report links Scranton’s population loss to the decline of anthracite coal, starting earlier than in other small Pennsylvania cities. It also frames current improvement as a chance to break from irreversible decline.

How does the report describe Pennsylvania’s role in Scranton’s school funding challenges?

It states Pennsylvania has underfunded K-12 education for decades and ranks 45th out of 50 in state share of education funding. With reliance on local taxes, low-income districts face both higher tax burdens and underfunded schools.

What solutions does the report recommend to restore educational quality?

It recommends capitalizing on unprecedented federal emergency relief to reinstate pre-k and maintain reasonable class sizes. It also calls for implementing “community schools” and urges state legislative action to equitably fund schools.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Sarah