Sooner or later, talk of closing achievement gaps turns to education finance--specifically, fixing widespread disparities in school funding within individual states. The difference between the resources that a district needs to educate all students and the amount the district actually spends is called an adequacy gap. The availability and use of educational resources have been shown to be factors that matter in improving outcomes and closing achievement gaps. This article aims to determine whether a state environment conducive to producing adequate and equitable funding can actually close achievement gaps. The question has taken on added urgency, particularly for Pennsylvania. Recent evidence indicates that within-state spending disparities between districts serving the most and fewest students in poverty is most severe in Pennsylvania. This study of Pennsylvania's past efforts to grapple with this disparity can inform the current debate in this state and in others.