This morning during his annual budget address, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett released some of the details of his plans for this year's $29.4 billion budget.

Corbett's past three budget addresses have ended with deep cuts to basic and higher education. In his fourth budget (and last before re-election), K-12 public schools funding remained stagnant, although targeted grants could filter millions of dollars more into education. 

Corbett's budget includes $241 million in targeted grants to basic education across the state—but there's a catch. The Ready to Learn block grant is intended for, "school districts that focus on student achievement and academic success," and will be based on a "student-focused" formula that has yet to be released.

Part of the new funding includes $20 million towards special education that will also be determined with a funding formula. 

The budget also includes the brand new Governor's Expanding Excellence Program (GEEP), which is intended to funnel $1 million into high-achieving public schools. The governor plans for another $10 million to support school reform movements through hybrid learning, which incorporates digital strategies in the classroom. 

An additional $25 million could provide academic merit scholarships to middle income students, "who otherwise may not be able to attain enough financial aid," Corbett said in his address.

Corbett did not mention is his address that the budget will increase state prison funding by nearly $80 million and increase revenue by leasing state forest and park land to natural gas drilling companies.