Panther Valley finally got the answer it wanted.

The school district has been waiting for the state court to rule on the school funding formula since 2014.

On Tuesday, district superintendent David McAndrew Jr. said the judge confirmed what he knew along.

“We can help some of the most underprivileged students if we have the right tools,” McAndew said.

Commonwealth Court Judge Renee Cohn Jubelirer issued the ruling Tuesday that the state hasn’t fulfilled its constitutional obligations to students in the poorest school districts, saying the funding formula is unconstitutional because students in poorer districts are not getting the same opportunities.

“We knew this. We’ve been saying this. Now the judge said this,” McAndrew said.

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Panther Valley, five other districts and some parents.

McAndrew said, “I’m thrilled (with the decision). This has been a long time coming.”

He said the decision is a victory for not just Panther Valley, but children throughout the state. “We are educators. We know what the students need,” McAndrew said. “All children can learn and succeed when they have the right tools. It shouldn’t depend on the Zip code you live in.”

Panther Valley in particular has been hit hard by the lack of funding. McAndrew said 80% of the students qualify for free and reduced lunches.

During the hearings McAndrew gave blunt testimony about the state of the district, which has a bathroom with one toilet and two urinals for 75 kindergartners. At that time, McAndrew said only four guidance counselors serve its 1,700 students.

At the time, he said, “We’re broke.”

Through COVID relief funding, McAndrew said the district has been able to do some repairs, upgrade buildings and buy the students Chromebooks. “There shouldn’t have to be a pandemic to get that funding,” he said.

Pandemic funds will be ending, and McAndrew said the district has added 300 students this year alone.

The industry tax base has dwindled and new homes are not being built, he said.

The state has documented a teacher shortage and Panther Valley has struggled to attract teachers and keep them. McAndrew said they are leaving for jobs in the Lehigh Valley where they can earn $25,000 to $30,000 more

As far as quality, McAndrew said, “I would put our teachers up against any in the commonwealth.”

He said additional funding will help to level the playing field for the district to pay staff.

“Now it’s the legislature’s job to come up with the funding,” McAndrew said.

“Do it now,” he urged legislators. “Work on it for this budget cycle.”

What happens next is too soon to determine.

State Sen. David Argall, R-Carbon/Schuylkill, said Tuesday night, “As of now, the Senate Education Committee continues to review today’s ruling to best determine the path forward for funding Pennsylvania’s schools.”

“As Majority Leader (Joe) Pittman stated today, ‘The Senate Republican Caucus is committed to prioritizing education empowerment and access for students across Pennsylvania, as is evidenced by a historic level of investment in public education included in the current 2022-23 and prior state budgets.’?”

State Rep. Doyle Heffley, R-Carbon, said the legal team is just starting to review the ruling,

He said he has supported the fair funding formula which has provided extra funds to districts such as Panther Valley without cutting funding to other districts.

“It’s important that we focus on ensuring all children have equal access to a quality education in the Commonwealth,” Heffley said.

“As a member of the Appropriations Committee, it was my focus to make sure that additional money went to underfunded schools, while at the same time not cutting funding to other school districts.

Under the fair funding formula, Heffley said, “We allocated $15 billion in last year’s budget to education, where $225 million went to the underfunded school districts.”

Heffley said in the last three years Panther Valley has gotten a higher increase in funds than other Carbon County districts.

“I welcome the discussion to tweak the formula,” Heffley said, so that every child in Pennsylvania gets a good public education.

“It’s important to provide equal opportunity to all children across Pennsylvania, and I will continue to work on addressing any inequities in the formula, while at the same time focusing on lowering taxes for all homeowners,” Heffley said.