HARRISBURG — Pennsylvania state government has cleared Philadelphia to impose a $2-per-pack cigarette sales tax to help the city’s financially troubled public schools.

Gov. Tom Corbett signed the bill Wednesday, saying it will provide a steady funding source for the state’s largest school district but warned it’s only a step toward resolving the district’s financial struggles and devising a fair formula to distribute state aid to schools.

“This was not a partisan issue. It was about the students of Philadelphia,” the Republican governor said at a Capitol news conference where he was flanked by city officials and lawmakers from both parties.