Public school funding is one of the clearest differences between Democratic nominee Mark Pinsley and Republican incumbent Jarrett Coleman in Pennsylvania Senate District 16. Pinsley would make the state, not local property taxes, the main funder of public schools. Coleman says Pennsylvania’s schools are “more than adequately funded,” and in July 2026 he was one of five senators to vote against this year’s school funding bill.
Mark Pinsley
- Have the state pay most of the cost of public schools. Right now, local property taxes pay most of it. Pinsley would flip that.
- Follow the money first. Before asking families for another dollar, find out where the money Pennsylvania already spends is going, and whether students are getting results. (The Morning Call, October 5, 2026)
- Require regular reassessment. Lehigh County hasn’t reassessed since 2012, so neighbors with homes of the same value can pay very different bills.
- End school vouchers. Public money should fund public schools.
- Expand career and technical education and apprenticeships, so college isn’t the only path to a good-paying job. (The Morning Call, October 5, 2026)
- Free breakfast and lunch for every student, regardless of income — simpler to run, and no child goes hungry or carries lunch debt.
More: What is Mark Pinsley’s plan to fully fund Pennsylvania public schools?
Jarrett Coleman
On the school board. Before the Senate, Coleman served on the Parkland School Board. In 2022, he voted against the district’s 2022–23 budget, which raised the average homeowner’s net tax bill by $17.64. (Lehigh Valley Press, June 30, 2022) He also voted against that year’s budgets for Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Lehigh Carbon Community College and Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21, which provides services for children with special needs. (Lehigh Valley Press, May 19, 2022)
Coleman says Pennsylvania’s schools are “more than adequately funded,” and points to the $7.2 billion school districts held in reserve at the end of the 2024–25 school year. (The Morning Call, October 5, 2026)
A court has already ruled the opposite. In February 2023, Commonwealth Court ruled that Pennsylvania’s school funding system violates the state constitution by shortchanging students in poorer districts. The state didn’t appeal, so the ruling stands. (Education Law Center) The state has since measured how far short it falls, about $4.5 billion, and is closing that gap at roughly $500 million a year through what’s called adequacy funding. (WHYY)
What he voted against. In July 2026, he was one of five senators to vote against the school funding bill, which passed 45–5. (Roll call 483)
That bill included $20.3 million in new adequacy and equity funding for the Allentown School District, which he represents. On the Senate floor, he argued that taxpayers in East Penn, Parkland and other districts were being punished to pay for Allentown. (Lehigh Valley Public Media) The same bill gave the East Penn School District $1,094,529. (Spotlight PA)
His alternative is Senate Bill 1192, which would require voters to approve every school district tax increase. It has been in committee since February 2026. (SB 1192) He also supports expanding scholarship tax credits and a broader voucher system. (The Morning Call, October 5, 2026)
Who funded him. Coleman’s 2022 campaign reports show $883,621 from political committees connected to billionaire Jeff Yass, mostly as advertising paid for on his behalf. (Campaign finance filings)
Yass is Pennsylvania’s biggest funder of school vouchers. He spent at least $18 million on the state’s 2022 primary alone, and his allies describe him as a donor who backs candidates who support alternatives to public schools. (Spotlight PA) In a 2025 interview, Yass said school vouchers drive his political spending. (Philadelphia Inquirer)
More: What do school vouchers cost Pennsylvania taxpayers, and where does Mark Pinsley stand?
The core disagreement
Pinsley says relying on local property taxes guarantees two things:
- Unequal schools, because some districts have far more property wealth than others.
- High property tax bills, because property taxes are doing the state’s job.
The numbers are on the county’s own tax sheet. Lehigh County’s tax rate is 3.78 mills. School districts charge 18 to 26 mills — five to seven times more. And in 2026–27, every school district in the county raised its rate, while the county and towns did not. (Lehigh County millage sheet)
A homeowner who wants a smaller bill can’t get there through the county or township. The school district is the bill. Pinsley says the fix has to come from the state, not from middle-class homeowners in Lower Macungie, Quakertown and Slatington.
The general election is November 3, 2026.
