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Chester County, PA April 22, 2008 Election
Smart Voter

Best Education

By Barbara McIlvaine Smith

Candidate for State Representative; District 156; Democratic Party

This information is provided by the candidate
Increased state funding for public education to ensure our children receive the best education possible
A well-educated populace is the foundation of our democracy. We have some of the best schools and universities right here in our region, but our graduates do not stay here. We need to retain our knowledgeable workforce to attract more business to our state, which in turn helps lower our tax burden. "We need to stop the brain-drain in Pennsylvania by encouraging our alumnae to stay here to help grow our economy. We need to make college more affordable so that our graduates are not saddled with heavy debt as they start their new careers."

As an educator, I know firsthand the funding problems our local school systems confront. The Commonwealth used to provide over 50% of the cost of education to its 501 school districts, but with reduced allocations and unfunded federal mandates, school districts must raise local property taxes to provide the same level of services. That hurts all of us. As your State Representative, I will continue to push for state funding to return to the 50% level to ensure our children receive the best education we can provide.

I currently sit on five standing committees in the House:Aging and Older Adults, Children and Youth, Education, Health and Human Services, and Local Government. In addition, I was chosen by the Speaker of the House to Chair the newly-formed Sub-Committee on Special Education.

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