The future of all Pennsylvania students should be a priority. That was the message at a news conference Thursday during which Gov. Tom Wolf touted a $1.3 billion investment in the state's public school system.

Wolf said just 11%, or $700 million, of funding ran through the state's fair-funding formula last year.

That means 89%, or $5.5 billion, of funding is still distributed based on student enrollment in 1992 and does not consider shifts in student counts or actual costs that today's school districts face.

Wolf's proposal runs all existing basic education funding through the fair-funding formula.

“My common-sense plan restores fairness to school funding to ensure every community can provide the quality education students need to succeed in life,” Wolf said.

Rural and urban school districts, Wolf said, have had to fill state funding gaps with local property tax increases, which places a burden on working families.

He said the tax increase included in his budget proposal will affect 33% of Pennsylvanians, while low- and moderate-income earners will see a tax break.

An increase in education funding is welcome news, but the increase funded by raising the personal income tax rate in Wolf's proposed budget isn't likely to be approved by the Legislature, said Brian White, superintendent of the Butler Area School District.

“While we're always happy to hear the state will provide the funding that they should, it's hard to imagine that what was proposed will actually pass,” White said. “I think the Legislature and the governor have a lot of work ahead of them.”

Read more in Friday's Butler Eagle.