Research, Policy Briefs and Publications

The Center on Regional Politics (CORP) publishes policy briefs, research notes and other commentary related to its ongoing research projects. Publications aim to provide leaders and the public throughout the Philadelphia region with the information necessary to develop evidence-based policies that respond to broad civic and economic needs.

• POLICY BRIEF: Haves and Have-Nots II, Alternative Versions of the Future: Policy Choices for the Financial Future of Pennsylvania School Districts- Southeast Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Budget - May 2020
• POLICY BRIEF: Southeast Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Budget- Southeast Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Budget - May 2019
  - View interactive graphics and maps.
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: Southeast Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Budget- Southeast Pennsylvania and the Commonwealth Budget - May 2019 
  ​- View interactive graphics and maps.
• POLICY BRIEF: A Tale of Haves and Have-Nots- The Financial Future of Pennsylvania School Districts - January 2019
  ​- View interactive graphics and maps.
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: A Tale of Haves and Have-Nots- The Financial Future of Pennsylvania School Districts - January 2019 
  ​- View interactive graphics and maps.
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: Explaining School Fund Balances- 2018 Are Schools Holding Too Much in Reserve? - July 2018 
• POLICY BRIEF: Explaining School Fund Balances- Are PA Local Education Agencies, with a $4.9 Billion Fund Balance, Holding Too Much in Reserve? An Update for FY 2016-17 - July 2018
  ​- View the report calculations in Excel.
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: Explaining School Fund Balances:- Are PA Schools Holding Too Much in Reserve? - July 2017
• POLICY BRIEF: Explaining School Fund Balances:- Are PA Schools, with a $4.7 Billion Fund Balance, Holding Too Much in Reserve? An Update for FY 2015-16 - July 2017
• BULLETIN: SPRING 2017
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: Hard Choices Still Ahead: - The Financial Future of Pennsylvania School Districts - March 2017
  ​- View the interactive charts and maps.
• POLICY BRIEF: Hard Choices Still Ahead: - The Financial Future of Pennsylvania School Districts - March 2017 
  ​- View the interactive charts and maps.
• BULLETIN: SUMMER 2016
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: Explaining School Fund Balances: - Are PA Schools Really Flush? - July 2016 
• POLICY BRIEF: Explaining School Fund Balances:- An Update - July 2016 
• Access the excel data and distribution according to House and Senate district.
• ISSUE MEMO: THE PROBLEM OF FUNDING PENSIONS: - An Update - JUNE 2016 
• RESEARCH AT A GLANCE: How Well Does Philadelphia Support its Public Schools? - A New Perspective - January 2016 
• POLICY BRIEF:How Well Does Philadelphia Support its Public Schools? - A New Perspective - January 2016 
• RAND Corporation Research Report: - The Economic Impact of Achievement Gaps in Pennsylvania’s Public Schools -July 2015 
  ​- CORP Press Release.
• Policy Brief: Explaining School Fund Balances- An Update -July 2015 
  - Statistical Supplement Comparing Fund Balances for PA’s 500 School Districts.
• BULLETIN: SUMMER 2015 
• POLICY BRIEF: Forecasting Fiscal Futures of Pennsylvania School Districts: Where Law and Current Policy Are Taking Our Public Schools 
  - Five Year Fiscal Forecasts for All 500 School Districts by Senate District.
  - Five Year Fiscal Forecasts for All 500 School Districts by House District.
  ​- Five Year Fiscal Forecasts for All 500 School Districts by School District.
• POLICY BRIEF: Understanding Measures of Tax Effort and Tax Capacity Tax effort and capacity data files.
• BULLETIN: SPRING 2015
• POLICY BRIEF: The Politics of Educational Change:  What Can We Learn from the School Consolidation Acts of 1961 and 1963? 
• POLICY BRIEF: Hold Harmless Education Finance Policies in the U.S.:  A Survey - December 2014 
• BULLETIN: FALL 2014 
• POLICY BRIEF: Growth and Stability in Public School Revenue Sources: - Can We Have Both? - October 2014 
• POLICY BRIEF: Explaining School Fund Balances: - Are PA Schools, with $4.3 Billion in Reserve Funds, Really Flush? Just the (Dry) Facts - August 2014 
  ​- Statistical Supplement Comparing Unassigned Fund Balances and Aid Ratios for PA’s 500 School Districts.
• BULLETIN: SUMMER 2014 
• The Ever Increasing Burden of America’s Public Schools - Bulletin Insert - Summer 2014 
• May 30, 2014 Commentary:  What Can We Learn from Pennsylvania’s History of Public School Finance? 
• ISSUE MEMO: How Pennsylvania Funds Public Schools:  The Story of the Local Share - May 2014 
• ISSUE MEMO: How Pennsylvania Funds Public Schools: The Story of the State Share - May 2014 
• BULLETIN: WINTER – SPRING 2014 
• BULLETIN: FALL 2013 
• August 21, 2013 Commentary: How to Fund Schools and Public Pensions 
• June 2013 Pension Working Group Report 
• BULLETIN: SPRING-SUMMER 2013 
• BULLETIN: WINTER 2013- AN UPDATE ON CORP PROJECTS 
• Taking Care of our Own: How Democrats, Republicans, Business and Labor Saved Thousands of Jobs and Our Refineries
• BULLETIN: FALL 2012- AN UPDATE ON CORP PROJECTS 
• ISSUE MEMO: THE PROBLEM OF FUNDING PENSIONS 
• SEPTEMBER 2012