The state budget was finalized on time, much faster than anyone expected. Click here to read ELC’s budget analysis.

State funding for special education was not cut for 2010-11. Every school district will get the same state funding it received in 2008-09 and 2009-10. Your advocacy on House Bill 704 deserves credit for protecting this line item in the budget, which avoided the cuts absorbed by most other programs. Of course, you are well aware that the high inflation rate for many special education services and programs threatens the needs of children even with “flat” funding.

The quick resolution of the budget means that there was not enough time for the sponsors of House Bill 704 to negotiate with the Senate about approving the special education reforms. We will work over the summer so that the Senate can promptly hold hearings and vote on HB 704 in September.

Thank you for hanging in there for a couple of extra months. With your help, we should see our legislation signed into law while the flowers are still blooming in September and before the leaves start falling from the trees.

Check back here for updates during July and August. Click on the links in the right margin to read the summary of the changes made in HB 704 as the House voted to approve the bill in June.

Let us know what else we can do to support your work.

Our bill for special education funding and accountability reform (House Bill 704) passed the whole State House of Representatives on June 23, 2010 by a vote of 173 to 25.

Click here to see how your representative voted.

Together, we made this happen when everyone else said it couldn’t.  Let’s keep working and see if we can get the bill passed into law with the state budget by mid-July.

Stay tuned for further action steps.

For now, please consider the following immediate actions:

(1)  Call or e-mail your state representatives and thank them for voting for HB 704.  They are currently in their Harrisburg offices.  Find their contact information here.

(2)  If you have not signed our online petition, this would be a good time to do so.

(3)  Consider adding your comments about HB 704 on our online discussion page.

Your tireless efforts are most appreciated.

Show your support. Sign our petition to help special education in Pennsylvania.

I welcome discussion with legislators regarding the need for special ed funding reform in PA. I was a Director of Special Education in a large western PA school district for 13 years. I have experience trying to balance the immediate mandated needs of educating special needs children and the impact of my proposed budgets on the entire District budget. Often, the increase in funding was minimal and I was forced to prioritize the needs of the students…often cutting from one or more categories in my budget. School boards and school administrators have a difficult responsibility to implement mandated changes, federal laws and provide for the many needs of students without the appropriate financial support from the state and federal levels. Please take immediate action to support HB 704.

– Joanne C. Meredith, educator

Show your support.  Sign our petition to help special education in Pennsylvania.

Meeting the unique needs of students with special needs is critical not only for them but also for other students in our public schools.  As a grandmother of three — one of whom ahs developmental disabilities, one of whom is gifted but with some unique issues, and one who functions well in a regular classroom — I recognize the importance of this legislation.
– Barbara Smith, grandparent

Show your support.  Sign our petition to help special education in Pennsylvania.

Please support the bill. I have a daughter with Special Needs in the public school system in Pennsylvania.

– Robert J. Rossi, parent

Show your support.  Sign our petition to help special education in Pennsylvania.

My son has autism and he is not doing well in school, not because he is not capable, but because he does not have the resources needed for him to be successful.  With enough money, the resources can be secured so my son can get access to his education so he can compete in this society and not be a burden on the social security system.

– Cecelia Thompson, parent

Show your support.  Sign our petition to help special education in Pennsylvania.

I have a child who has special needs.  She was helped by some awesome and patient teachers.  The problem now is that many of these teachers are BURNT out.  They need you to pass this bill.  By passing this bill, all special needs students will get the help that they need.  Also all school districts will receive equitable money.  Please sign this bill to help the future of not only our special needs students but also the future of Pennsylvania.

--Teresa DePaul, parent

Show your support.  Sign our petition to help special education in Pennsylvania.

Hurry up and wait.  An unfortunate but sometimes necessary part of human existence, supermarket lines, and political reality in Harrisburg.

HB 704, the bill on special education funding and accountability reforms, was scheduled for a vote in the whole State House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 26.  The vote has been rescheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, June 8 or 9.

PLEASE CONTACT YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE ASAP. We need your help to get calls, e-mails, or letters to every state representative.  Click here for talking points and actions that you can take to help the House vote for and pass HB 704 on June 8 or 9.

Click here to see a more detailed explanation of the two-week delay and a list of amendments intended by some representatives for HB 704.  If your state representative is sponsoring one of these amendments, you may want to call him or her to express your concerns – HB 704 deserves their support and a vote without amendments.

For extra help, call or e-mail Baruch Kintisch (215-238-6970 x 320) or Sandy Zelno (412-255-6414).

Additional Resources:

Summary of HB 704 (two-page summary)

Q&A on Special Education Funding Reform (4-page detailed information)

Thank you for getting involved and making good things happen for children with disabilities and all children.

HB 704, the bill on special education funding and accountability reforms, was scheduled for a vote in the whole State House of Representatives on Wednesday, May 26.  The vote has been rescheduled for Tuesday or Wednesday, June 8 or 9.

The biggest reason for the delay is that there is disagreement within both political parties about a tax increase bill (HB 2435).  That bill, along with our special education bill, was scheduled for a vote on May 26.  Due to the lack of consensus on the tax bill, no significant bills were allowed to come up for a vote – including our special education bill.

The second reason for the delay is a set of amendments announced for HB 704.  Legislators must pre-announce their amendments, and several amendments were listed for consideration on HB 704.  Three of these intended amendments – listed below – are not related to special education in any way, but they are being used to get attention for other controversial issues.  The House leaders would prefer for these intended amendments to be withdrawn before HB 704 comes up for debate and a vote on the floor of the House.  Whether our organizations agree or disagree with the subject matter of these three amendments, we do not want them to stand in the way of the interests of students with disabilities.  HB 704 deserves a fair vote on June 8 or 9 without unrelated amendments and without further delay.

Amendment 7143.  Announced by Representative Saylor (R-York County). This amendment would stop the new high-stakes graduation tests being implemented by the state.

Amendment 7144.  Announced by Representative Clymer (R-Bucks County). This amendment would make changes to pre-kindergarten, Head Start, and other early learning programs.

Amendment 7149.  Announced by Representative Miller (R-York County). This amendment would renew and modify state rules for how school districts can ask the Department of Education for waivers from contracting mandates and other legal requirements.

There are also a few additional amendments announced for consideration when HB 704 is debated on June 8 or 9.  The following amendments are related to special education funding and accountability.  The sponsors of HB 704 are talking to the legislators offering these amendments to reach consensus on the issues or perhaps withdraw the amendments.

Amendments 7145 and 7148.  Announced by Representative O’Neill (R-Bucks County). This amendment would remove from HB 704 some of the improvements in the Contingency Fund, which provides resources for districts to help students with very expensive disabilities.  The amendment would treat all districts equally, regardless of poverty or best practices.

Amendment 7146.  Announced by Representative Rapp (R-Forrest & Warren Counties). This amendment would remove from HB 704 a performance variable that would give school districts additional funding for meeting both inclusion and achievement targets for students with disabilities. (About 110 districts would meet these targets in the first year and on average would each receive a total of about $60,000 as an incentive to continue their improved performance.  This modest factor in the new formula would not change IDEA law or the authority of IEP teams for the placement of students.)

Amendment 7147.  Announced by Representative Tallman (R-Adams & York Counties). This amendment would remove from HB 704 the entire section on accountability. (The accountability provisions are intended to ensure that state funding for special education is invested by local schools for the benefit of students with disabilities.  This part of the bill strengthens the existing three-year plans that districts are already required to file with the state.  The General Assembly adopted similar accountability rules for basic education in 2008.)

Amendment 7172.  Announced by Rep. Maher (R-Allegheny & Washington Counties). This amendment would remove from HB 704 the three-variable formula for distributing state funding for special education and replace it with a twelve-variable formula.  The amendment would give a different funding weight to each kind of disability. (The three-variable formula in HB 704 is designed to accurately distribute state funding based on student and district needs, while protecting against incentives for schools to over-identify children or manipulate the system.)

If your state representative is sponsoring one of these amendments, you may want to call him or her to express your concerns – HB 704 deserves their support and a vote without amendments.  Click here for talking points and actions that you can take to help the House vote for and pass HB 704 on June 8 or 9.

For extra help, call or e-mail Baruch Kintisch (215-238-6970 x 320) or Sandy Zelno (412-255-6414).

Additional Resources:

Summary of HB 704 (two-page summary)

Q&A on Special Education Funding Reform (4-page detailed information)

Thank you for getting involved and making good things happen for children with disabilities and all children.