Reform Special Education Funding

Nearly 400 school districts are underfunding special education

In 2008, Pennsylvania adopted a landmark funding formula for basic education, putting more dollars into the neediest schools and implementing rigorous accountability measures for school districts. However, special education students have been left out of the equation.

A coalition of groups is now sending the message that it’s time for the General Assembly to approach special education funding with the same sharp eye its members approached basic education funding in 2008.

House Bill 704 and Senate Bill 940 have strong bipartisan support and are ready to be adopted.

Go to the About page to read the campaign’s  Core Principles.

The Harrisburg Patriot-News ran our new Op-Ed on Tuesday, just as hearings in the Capitol began for the proposed 2010-2011 education budget: Status quo won’t work on Pennsylvania special ed funding.

Our Op-Ed on the pending special education funding and accountability legislation was published in a trio of papers during the past few days.

Centre Daily Times: Support funding to educate children with disabilities

Pocono Record: Disabled kids face a school funding imbalance

York Daily Record: All kids count: Fairly fund special education

BACKGROUND
HB 704 and SB 940 will fix the state funding and accountability systems for special education.  The state formula has completely broken down.  Many school districts do not receive a fair share of state funding and are not held fully accountable for effectively investing special education resources.
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Jeff Hawkes’ piece in today’s Lancaster Intelligencer Journal made a great case for fixing PA’s broken special education funding system.

Here’s the link:

Special education funding formula inequity in action

Here’s an excerpt:

Pennsylvania for too long has stacked the deck against taxpayers in Columbia, Lancaster and other high-poverty communities where schools are burdened by greater than average numbers of students who require special education.

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There are a few key improvements to HB 704.

Here’s the formal Summary:

Current Contents of House Bill 704 (65 co-sponsors) & Senate Bill 940 (15 co-sponsors)
(as introduced, as adopted 22-3 and amended in the House Education Committee, and reflecting a negotiated agreement between Governor Rendell and the bill sponsors)
SUMMARY – The updated provisions of the legislation for state reform of the special education funding and accountability systems make the following
improvements:

• Increase the accuracy of the special education formula by using three weights;
• Establish an open oversight/regulatory process to set the final formula weights;
• Hold spending at 2008-09 levels for the next year;
• Delay the 6-year phase in to adequate funding levels, set to start in 2011-12;
• Streamline and strengthen school district accountability, applied when new funding occurs in 2011; and
• Strengthen the Contingency Fund and make it more accountable and transparent. (more…)

State funding for special education was not cut for 2009-10.

Every school district will receive the same state funding for special education as in 2008-09.  See a detailed spreadsheet here.  This is a major victory, as nearly all other education line items were cut.
In addition, every school district is receiving lots of new federal stimulus funding for special education services and programs. Your efforts over the last 14 months helped to protect special education resources.

Together, we advocated for a new state system for special education funding and accountability.  Our voices were heard and cuts were avoided, even in this historically tough budget year.  Thank you for helping to make this happen.
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What: Briefing and Planning Sessions on State Reform for Special Education Funding and Accountability

When: Wednesday, August 19 (Pittsburgh);  Thursday, August 20 (Southeast PA); Wednesday, September 2 (Lancaster).
DETAILS BELOW.

The Arc of PA, the Disability Rights Network of PA, the Education Law Center, and Good Schools PA are hosting three regional special education funding reform briefings and planning meetings.  Please mark the dates on your calendar and plan to be part of these interactive sessions.

UPDATE.  The news is very good, thanks to your hard work and dedication.  HB 704 is Representative Sturla’s bill — “our” bill — for special education funding and accountability reforms.  The bill has made it all of the way into the annual School Code Bill (HB 11) that is usually adopted with the state budget.  The House Education Committee has now voted twice to support HB 704.  Governor Rendell also recently decided to support HB 704.  If the legislative leaders can wrap up their negotiations for the budget, HB 11 (including HB 704) should be adopted in the next few weeks.

We hope you will join us to discuss these developments and our crucial next steps on August 19, August 20, and September 2.
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Here is the overall update about what happened last week:

On Wednesday, July 1, the House Education Committee voted to approve House Bill 704, reforming the special education funding and accountability system in Pennsylvania.

The vote — with bipartisan support — was 22 to 3 in favor of the bill. Click here to see how the Committee members voted. Representatives Clymer, Rapp, and Tallman voted against the bill. The bill has 65 co-sponsors.

The Senate companion bill, Senate Bill 940, is now up to 14 co-sponsors. Senators Kasunic, Logan, and Pippy are considering joining the bill as co-sponsors, and they need to hear from you if you live in their districts.

The legislators leading this effort are expected to negotiate this week with Governor Rendell to seek an agreement about including these special education reforms as part of the annual School Code Bill, which is adopted along with the state budget. Governor Rendell is focusing on other priorities and needs some encouragement to also pay attention to our issues.

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO CONTACT GOVERNOR RENDELL’S OFFICE THIS WEEK. ASK HIM TO SUPPORT HOUSE BILL 704 AND SENATE BILL 940 AS PART OF THE 2009-10 BUDGET AND SCHOOL CODE BILL.

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Political blogger Above Average Jane has a thoughtful post on HB 704.

Here’s the link: Special Education Update