Education in State Constitution: Article IIIB: Sections 14-15
Education in State Code: Title 24: Parts I-VI
State Board Members: 21 Members; 17 Appointed/4 Elected; 6-year term
Education Authorities: DoEd; State Board; State Secretary of Education
KNOW YOUR STATE
"Virtue, Liberty, and Independence"
Pennsylvania has a Department of Education, a State Board, and a State Secretary of Education. The State Board consists of 21 members with 17 appointed and 4 elected to 6-year terms.
Every state sets its own school choice rules, and Pennsylvania is no exception. The NWEF School Choice Index scores Pennsylvania on 17 measures, from open enrollment to education savings accounts, then ranks it against all 50 states. Open any category below to see where Pennsylvania earns points and where it falls short.
Pennsylvania scores well on charter school access and online learning. Its biggest gaps are private-school options like ESAs and vouchers and homeschooling.
Scored from state law · as of August 2026
Your state lawmakers wrote the rules behind this score. Most of them have never seen how Pennsylvania compares to other states.
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