Palmerton has joined other municipalities in passing a resolution for Fair School Funding.

Borough council took the action on Thursday, one month after it heard from a Summit Hill borough councilman who asked it to pass the resolution that would help fund area school districts.

The resolution is to support the fair funding formula that is used to provide funding to Pennsylvania school districts. School districts rely on property taxes as way to raise their revenue for school districts.

The Fair Funding Formula in Pennsylvania was created and passed into law, but only partially applied it to funding for the school districts, forcing the local communities to come up with the balance of those funds needed to run the school districts. That’s money that the state formula says the schools should receive, but did not get.

Pennsylvania is one of the worst states for funding its school system. Article 3 paragraph 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the Legislature to provide equitable and fair funding for all schools in the commonwealth to support the public education system.

David Wargo of Summit Hill asked council last month to pass a resolution that would help fund area school districts.

Wargo said at that time the Fair Funds Formula would protect the safety of residents, not just physical, but also financial.

He said it’s gotten to the point where many school districts are in danger of being bankrupted because they aren’t getting the funding they deserve.

Wargo said Panther Valley School District has been underfunded by about $10.5 million.

However, he said it isn’t just Panther Valley School District that is underfunded, as other school districts are underfunded as well because the state isn’t applying the fair funding formula fully as per state laws.

He said Article 3, Paragraph 14 of the Pennsylvania Constitution requires the Legislature to provide equitable and fair funding for all schools in the commonwealth to support the public education system.

The resolution has already been approved by Coaldale, Lansford, Summit Hill, Nesquehoning, Mahoning Township and Penn Forest Township.