Reform Special Education Funding
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HELP NEEDED FOR SPECIAL ED BILL THIS WEEK. CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY.
Due to strong advocate support, special education reforms to benefit children with disabilities passed the Pennsylvania House Education Committee on Monday, June 18. Thanks to all of the advocates who helped make this happen.
The comprehensive legislation for special education funding and accountability reforms passed the Committee in a unanimous vote. This is Senate Bill 1115, which has already passed the Senate.
The next step for SB 1115 is a vote in the full House tomorrow — June 20. The bill could then achieve final adoption along with the annual budget by June 30. Monday’s vote is great progress, but there’s a bit more work to do.
PLEASE CALL YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE TODAY.
Follow the instructions below for contacting legislators about this important bill.
1. Find the Harrisburg office phone number and e-mail address of the your state representative here — http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address.
2. Call their Harrisburg office and leave a message, asking for a vote in favor of SB 1115, and noting that the House Education Committee unanimously passed the bill on Monday.
Thanks to all of the groups and their members for getting involved and making this happen for children with disabilities.
SB 1115 bill, legislation to reform special education funding and accountability, is scheduled for a vote in the House Education Committee at 11 a.m. on Monday, June 18.
The Committee vote is in Room 60 East Wing, directly next to the cafeteria in the capitol. Click here for more information – http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/cteeInfo/cteeCMS.cfm?body=H&cde=12.
This is it. Big push this week. The House Education Committee will vote on House Bill 704 on Wednesday, July 1 in the morning.
Please contact your committee members and talk with them about voting for HB 704.
With a little more effort, we will be successful in reforming the special education funding and accountability system in Pennsylvania. Wednesday next week is the one and only vote needed for Representative Sturla’s House Bill 704 to be adopted in to law with the budget this year.
If the House Education Committee votes in favor of the bill, the leaders of the General Assembly will start to negotiate about including the bill in the final School Code Bill and Budget for 2009-10.
In addition, Senator Dinniman and 13 co-sponsors recently introduced Senate Bill 940, which is almost identical to House Bill 704. No action is expected on S.B. 940; the House Bill will take the lead.
The House Education Committee members are listed below. Click on the links to find the contact information for each member.
Last week, members of the coalition to reform special education funding in Pennsylvania testified before the House Education Committee.
We’ve previously published a summary of the testimony. Now, we’ve made the presentation document available . It offers thorough details on the history of special education funding in Pennsylvania and underscores the need to establish a fair funding and accountability formula. This is excellent material for use at a community meeting, so feel free to download and print copies.
House Education Committee Hearing on HB 704 - Wednesday, May 6
Pennsylvania Legislative Services has a recap of yesterday’s Education Committee Hearing.
COMMITTEE NEWS
House Education Committee
9:00 a.m., 5/6/09, Room G-50 Irvis Office Building
By Matt Hess
The committee held a public hearing on HB 704.
HB 704 Sturla – (PN 1651) Amends Public School Code, in reimbursement by Commonwealth and between school districts, further providing for definitions; and outlining a funding formula for special education for student achievement and instruction of eligible students in regular classrooms; and providing for special education accountability to Commonwealth taxpayers. The Department of Education shall submit a report to the Governor and General Assembly recommending increased standards and the General Assembly shall consider legislation revising the criteria, in any year in which 75% of all school districts meet the criteria and qualify for the 1.15 factor for funding. The Department of Education shall determine the form and manner in which school districts shall submit a special education plan and revisions, updates and amendments to the special education plan.
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House Education Committee members at yesterday’s hearing asked how other states are funding special education. The Education Law Center’s David Lapp researched other states’ special education funding and presented a synopsis of his findings to the committee members, noting how many of our neighboring states have adopted a funding formula very similar to the one proposed in HB 704.
David’s full report is here: DRAFT: State Survey of Special Education Funding Formulas.
