▁increase ▁each ▁school ▁district ▁received ▁was ▁set ▁by ▁Governor ▁Edward ▁G . ▁R end ell ▁and ▁the ▁Secretary ▁of ▁Education ▁Ger ald ▁Z ah orch ak , ▁as ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁budget ▁proposal . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Census ▁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 . ▁ ▁The ▁state ▁Basic ▁Education ▁Fund ing ▁to ▁Sol an co ▁School ▁District ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 - 0 9 ▁was ▁$ 9 , 0 7 4 , 6 4 3 . 6 6 . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁Department ▁of ▁Education , ▁ 9 1 5 ▁district ▁students ▁received ▁free ▁or ▁reduced - price ▁l unch es ▁due ▁to ▁low ▁family ▁income ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 7 – 2 0 0 8 ▁school ▁year . ▁ ▁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 :