Reform Special Education Funding
Currently viewing the tag: "HB 704"
2010 ACTION: In 2010, House Bill 704 was passed by the House with bi-partisan support (173 to 25) and came close to getting a vote in the Senate. We just ran out of time.
2011 ACTION: The bills for reforming the state system of funding and accountability for special education were re-introduced in June 2011. [...]
2010 ACTION: In 2010, House Bill 704 was passed by the House with bi-partisan support (173 to 25) and came close to getting a vote in the Senate. We just ran out of time.
2011 ACTION: The bills for reforming the state system of funding and accountability for special education were re-introduced in June 2011. A hearing was held in the Senate Education Committee in November 2011, with witnesses from the Arc of PA, the Education Law Center, and the Sto-Rox and Lancaster school districts.
Senator Patrick Browne (R-Allentown) and Representative Bernie O’Neill (R-Bucks County) are now the lead sponsors. Senator Dinniman (D-West Chester) and Representative Sturla (D-Lancaster) are also supporting the legislation.
Check out the bills and the list of cosponsors for Senate Bill 1115 and House Bill 704. Thanks to your phone calls, there are now 29 cosponsors on the Senate bill and 56 on the House bill. Click here for a detailed summary of the bills.
Note that SB 1115 will be the vehicle for adopting the special education reforms in 2012. We expect the House to vote on SB 1115, not HB 704. The two bills are identical, but only the Senate bill will get voted on.
MOST RECENT AMENDMENT TO SB 1115: Senators Piccola, Dinniman, and Browne have recently agreed to final changes to the bill. This clears the way for a vote in the Senate Education Committee. In general, the changes improve the bill by protecting the proposed formula for more effectively distributing special education funding from the state. In addition, two new provisions were added to provide more help for students with severe disabilities and to shift funding from state-level administration to go more directly to services for students with disabilities.
The special education reform bills have been introduced and are now on their way.
Please take a minute right away to click on the bill numbers below and see whether your Representative and Senator have signed on as cosponsors.
If you do not see their names, give a quick call to their Harrisburg office [...]
The special education reform bills have been introduced and are now on their way.
Please take a minute right away to click on the bill numbers below and see whether your Representative and Senator have signed on as cosponsors.
If you do not see their names, give a quick call to their Harrisburg office and ask them to immediately cosponsor this legislation.
If your representative and senator are already listed as cosponsors, call them to say a big “Thank you!”
The new bill numbers are House Bill 704 (yes, the same number as last year) and Senate Bill 1115.
WHAT
Contact state Senator Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader, and ask him to allow a vote on House Bill 704 for special education funding and accountability reforms.
WHO
All students, parents, advocates, and concerned citizens from ALL parts of Pennsylvania. (Especially, but not only folks in Chester and Delaware Counties.)
WHEN
Right now. [...]
WHAT
Contact state Senator Dominic Pileggi, Majority Leader, and ask him to allow a vote on House Bill 704 for special education funding and accountability reforms.
WHO
All students, parents, advocates, and concerned citizens from ALL parts of Pennsylvania. (Especially, but not only folks in Chester and Delaware Counties.)
WHEN
Right now. The official legislative session will end in a couple of weeks, so we could run out of time for this year if things are delayed.
HOW
Call Senator Pileggi’s Harrisburg office at (717) 787-4712 and leave a detailed message. Also, send him a polite and personal e-mail to dpileggi@pasen.gov.
WHY
On September 21 the Senate Education Committee held a hearing about HB 704. The Committee indicated that they will only vote for HB 704 if Senator Pileggi, as the Senate Majority Leader, first gives his approval for a vote both in Committee and on the Senate floor. We have met with most senators and know that we can win these votes if Senator Pileggi allows them to happen during the next couple of weeks.
A Summary of HB 704 is linked in the right margin. Watch our video from the 21st and hear what supporters are saying.
Tagged with: HB 704 • Sen. Pileggi • special educaiton funding • special education • students with disablities
The Senate Education Committee will meet and discuss our legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms, HB 704, at –
10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 21 in Room 8, East Wing, Capitol Building in Harrisburg.
Representative Sturla (our lead sponsor) will testify and present the bill to the Committee for consideration.
The East Wing [...]
The Senate Education Committee will meet and discuss our legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms, HB 704, at –
10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 21 in Room 8, East Wing, Capitol Building in Harrisburg.
Representative Sturla (our lead sponsor) will testify and present the bill to the Committee for consideration.
The East Wing is directly behind the main Capitol building, down an escalator and to the right.
PLEASE ATTEND THIS HEARING. BRING OTHERS WITH YOU. This is our one big chance in the Senate before the end of the year.
Consider scheduling a meeting or two with state senators from your area, after the hearing on Tuesday. Staff for your senator(s) are likely to be available, even on short notice.
Tagged with: HB 704 • Rep. Sturla • senate education committee • special education • special education funding
ATTENTION: Disability Advocates, Parents, and Concerned Citizens
The Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 21, 2010 on House Bill 704. The hearing will take place in Room 8, East Wing, Capitol Building. We’re encouraging people to attend and show their support.
House Bill 704 is [...]
ATTENTION: Disability Advocates, Parents, and Concerned Citizens
The Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing at 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, September 21, 2010 on House Bill 704. The hearing will take place in Room 8, East Wing, Capitol Building. We’re encouraging people to attend and show their support.
House Bill 704 is our legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms. The bill makes important improvements to benefit the education of children with disabilities.
The Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved HB 704 in June by an overwhelming vote of 173 to 25. The bill is now in the Senate. At the hearing, Representative Sturla (our lead sponsor) will testify and present the bill to the Committee for consideration. It’s important we show our strength at this hearing.
For more information about attending the hearing contact the Education Law Center’s Baruch Kintisch or Sandy Zelno.
The York Dispatch ran an op-ed from the Education Law Center today, explaining the hold harmless provision of House Bill 704:
PA_students_with_disabilities_deserve_better
OP-ED: Pa. students with disabilities deserve better
Updated: 07/15/2010 01:12:15 PM EDT
There’s been a lot written recently about a piece of legislation that would create new state laws for special education funding [...]
The York Dispatch ran an op-ed from the Education Law Center today, explaining the hold harmless provision of House Bill 704:
PA_students_with_disabilities_deserve_better
OP-ED: Pa. students with disabilities deserve better
Updated: 07/15/2010 01:12:15 PM EDT
There’s been a lot written recently about a piece of legislation that would create new state laws for special education funding and accountability.
Let’s be clear: The reforms in House Bill 704 are needed because special education was left out when the General Assembly enacted basic education reforms in 2008. Students with disabilities should not be left out of these important reforms and deserve better. These children have waited long enough for the state to pay attention to their needs. The Senate should act before the end of the year to consider and approve HB 704.
Under HB 704, state funding for special education will be distributed based on the actual needs of students and schools. Schools will be held accountable for effectively investing these resources, without creating excessive bureaucracy or paperwork requirements. HB 704 also revises the reforms made for basic education to better match the needs of the special education system and to reflect the lessons learned since 2008. These are huge steps for improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities.
Continue reading »
A good column on HB 704 from the Reading Eagle‘s David Mekeel:
David Mekeel: Changes to special ed-funding needed
For two decades, public school districts have received state funding for special education the same way.
State Rep. P. Michael Sturla hopes to change that.
The Lancaster County Democrat has authored a bill that would fundamentally [...]
A good column on HB 704 from the Reading Eagle‘s David Mekeel:
David Mekeel: Changes to special ed-funding needed
For two decades, public school districts have received state funding for special education the same way.
State Rep. P. Michael Sturla hopes to change that.
The Lancaster County Democrat has authored a bill that would fundamentally change special-education funding – eventually.
“The system has basically been flawed since it was changed 20 years ago,” Sturla said. “It makes the incorrect assumption that 16 percent of all students across the board have special needs.”
Tagged with: HB 704 • Lancaster County • Rep. Sturla • special education • special education funding
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 [...]
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.
The York Dispatch’s Education Reporter Andrew Shaw published a story Monday on the House passage of HB 704:
Special_ed_funding_change_passes_in_Pa._House
Read the full story:
Special ed funding change passes in Pa. House
ANDREW SHAW | The York Dispatch
Updated:06/28/2010 01:04:41 PM EDT
Special education funding reform is now before the state Senate after a bill [...]
The York Dispatch’s Education Reporter Andrew Shaw published a story Monday on the House passage of HB 704:
Special_ed_funding_change_passes_in_Pa._House
Read the full story:
Special ed funding change passes in Pa. House
ANDREW SHAW | The York Dispatch
Updated:06/28/2010 01:04:41 PM EDT
Special education funding reform is now before the state Senate after a bill that would greatly change the funding formula was passed by the House.
The House last week overwhelmingly approved a bill, 173-25, that would move Pennsylvania away from a flat funding method.
State Rep. Will Tallman, R-Reading Township, was the lone York County dissenter.
Tallman said he supports increased special education funding but believes the state is adding too much additional oversight.
School districts have been getting special education funding based on the assumption each district has 16 percent of its total enrollment in special education. That formula has been in place since 1991, according to state Rep. Mike Sturla, D-Lancaster, who developed the bill.
Under the proposed legislation, school districts would receive funding based on the number of special-education students they have, as well as on factors such as district poverty level.
Special education funding reform is “long overdue,” says the Beaver County Times in their editorial from Sunday, June 27, 2010:
It’s about time
The state House has taken a first step toward revamping the funding formula for special education.
While that is a positive step forward, getting to this point should not have been so [...]
Special education funding reform is “long overdue,” says the Beaver County Times in their editorial from Sunday, June 27, 2010:
It’s about time
The state House has taken a first step toward revamping the funding formula for special education.
While that is a positive step forward, getting to this point should not have been so hard or taken so long. As important as this legislation is, it shows how woefully ineffective the General Assembly can be, even in righting a mistake that’s been apparent for almost two decades.
The current funding formula has been around since 1991, and it has a serious flaw – it has no basis in reality. It assumes that 16 percent of the students in every district in the commonwealth are special-need children and bases reimbursement on that percentage. If a district has more than 16 percent, it’s too bad. Local taxpayers have to pick up the added tab.
Continue reading »
VOICES OF SUPPORT
2010 video from Senate hearing on special education reform legislation
PAGES
SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING
Q&A on Special Education Funding Reform
The Bill: HB 2
Read the full report: Costing-out Special Education Funding
Read the executive summary: Costing-out Study: Executive Summary
View statewide data report:
Pa. Data on Special EducationView a presentation on:HB 704
DRAFT: State Survey on Special Education Funding Formulas
SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS
There are approximately 40 organizations supporting special education funding reforms, including:
The full list of supporting organizations is on the About page.
CONTACTS
Education Law Center
Brett Schaeffer
bschaeffer@elc-pa.orgThe Arc of Pennsylvania
Pam Klipa
pklipa@thearcpa.orgDisability Rights Network of PA
Sallie Lynagh
slynagh@drnpa.orgCATEGORIES
- Action Items (31)
- Media (19)
- News (50)
- Organizing (7)
TAGS
Above Average Jane charters coalition Education Law Center funding Harrisburg HB 2 HB2 HB 11 HB 704 HB704 hearing hearings House House Education Committee Lancaster Lancaster County map Media notebook Organizing parent Pennsylvania philadelphia Pittsburgh Pocono Record Pottstown reform Rep. McIlvaine-Smith Rep. O'Neill Rep. Roebuck Rep. Sturla SB 940 SB 1115 Sen. Browne Sen. Dinniman Senate senate education committee special ed special educaiton funding special education special education funding special education funding reform York Zahorchak
