▁Bureau , ▁Pennsylvania ▁spent ▁$ 7 , 8 2 4 ▁Per ▁P up il ▁in ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 0 . ▁This ▁amount ▁increased ▁up ▁to ▁$ 1 2 , 0 8 5 ▁by ▁the ▁year ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Department ▁of ▁Education , ▁ 1 , 8 8 0 ▁New ▁Castle ▁Area ▁School ▁District ▁students ▁received ▁free ▁or ▁reduced - price ▁l unch es ▁due ▁to ▁low ▁family ▁income ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 – 0 8 ▁school ▁year . ▁ ▁The ▁state ▁Basic ▁Education ▁Fund ing ▁to ▁the ▁district ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 ▁was ▁$ 4 , 7 8 7 , 1 5 1 . 7 9 . ▁This ▁was ▁ 6 6 . 8 1 % ▁of ▁the ▁New ▁Castle ▁Area ▁School ▁District ▁fund ing ▁coming ▁from ▁the ▁Commonwealth . ▁Local ▁sources ▁contributed ▁ 2 5 % ▁of ▁annual ▁reven ues . ▁ ▁Account ability ▁Block ▁Gr ants ▁Begin ning ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 - 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁state ▁launched ▁the ▁Account ability ▁Block ▁Grant ▁school ▁fund ing . ▁This ▁program ▁has ▁provided ▁$ 1 . 5 ▁billion ▁to ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁school ▁districts . ▁The ▁Account ability ▁Block ▁Grant ▁program ▁requires ▁that ▁its ▁tax p ayer ▁dollars ▁are ▁focused ▁on ▁specific ▁inter vent ions ▁that ▁are ▁most ▁likely ▁to ▁increase ▁student ▁academic ▁achiev ement . ▁These ▁inter vent ions ▁include : ▁teacher ▁training , ▁all - day ▁kind