A recent study of the Butler School District’s budget found good and bad news. On the one hand, the district was found to be spending money wisely, but on the other it was lacking the amount necessary to flourish.

The district was one of three in the state chosen by Philadelphia nonprofit Research for Action to undergo an assessment by Picus Odden and Associates, a consulting group that uses academic research on education and school case studies to determine how districts should spend funding.

The study found that the district often met or exceeded its expectations, but also noted that its schools don’t get enough money to do everything required to empower students to thrive.

According to researchers, the district needs about $7.6 million more in its budget to accomplish everything the study’s model says is proven to work well in schools.

Teachers across the country have long complained of a lack of funding at public schools. This deficit often results in a lack of resources — such as classroom supplies or computers — and can lead to students who are unprepared for the next step in the educational process. It also often leads to teachers spending money out of their own stretched budget to purchase supplies not available through their district.

In response to the study, Butler Superintendent Brian White noted that “the mandates of the state do not match the resources provided by the state.” He added that he hoped the review “provides insights for policymakers across the state to make decisions that are best for students.”

We agree. And we concur with White and school board member Suzie Bradrick that extra funding for the district should come from the state, rather than local taxpayers.

In April, Butler School District administrators proposed an increase of 3.03 mills to the district’s current 101 mill property tax rate to help the district avoid debt. While nobody likes having their taxes raised, we agreed at the time that this increase — which could go toward pay-rate increases, health care costs, counseling, curriculum needs and cash reserves — could be a good idea to address the district’s $131 million in outstanding debt, of which more than $45 million was interest.

But we also wrote at the time that the district should continue to explore other options for school funding. The Picus Odden study found that the district will be able to achieve a higher rate of success with more funding — therefore, school leaders should emphasize this conclusion of the study with their state legislators and put pressure on them to deliver.