First Lady Talks Education, Governor’s Funding Plan In Bristol

Pennsylvania’s first lady visited Bristol Borough Thursday and read to a group of children before discussing the governor’s plan for funding education.

First Lady Frances Wolf made a stop at Radcliffe Learning Center to highlight Gov. Tom Wolf’s investment in childhood education and to push his future education goals.

“Tom and I both feel strongly that Pennsylvania’s greatest resources is our young people and the schools, like Radcliffe Learning Center, that prepare them to be our future leaders,” the first lady said. “That is why, since day one, Tom and his team have fought for improving education from preschool through higher education. If we want our children to get ahead, we must invest in our schools.”

Frances Wolf, who married the future governor in 1975 after meeting in Boston, has been promoting her husband’s proposed 2017-2018 budget. In the proposed spending plan, he wants to increase basic education funding by $100 million, add $25 million to special education programs and put $75 million more toward early childhood education programs. In addition, the spending plan includes developing improving college affordability and accountability while boosting funding to the 14 universities of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education by $8.9 million.

The governor’s proposed budget line item of $75 million for early childhood education includes growing the Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program.

At the event, Frances Wolf talked with officials from the  Radcliffe Learning Center and local school districts, including Bristol Borough and Bristol Township.