Reform Special Education Funding » SB 940

Special Education Funding Reform Op-Ed in Patriot-News

admin — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 17:46:46 +0000

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_PA_special_ed_funding.

Here’s the full text:

Status quo won’t work on Pennsylvania special ed funding

Children with disabilities often experience tremendous challenges when they reach adulthood. National research shows that about 70 percent of all adults with disabilities are unemployed.

That often translates to a greater reliance on public benefits and significant isolation from the world of work, taxes, elections, shopping malls and everything else that constitutes full participation in Pennsylvania community life.

Ensuring a quality education for all children in all public schools in Pennsylvania is the first step in preventing this unfortunate outcome.

Each school district must have the resources to offer effective education and special supports for students with disabilities. Adequate funding is important and it must be spent on strategies with a track record of helping children succeed.

Most students eligible for special education can learn and achieve to high levels along with other students if they receive the extra supports and services necessary to accommodate their disabilities.

But in 2008, the General Assembly increased special education funding only 1.6 percent, while funding for other students was increased 5.2 percent.

In 2009, the state provided no increase for special education, while basic education funding was increased 5.7 percent.

In his initial budget proposal for 2010-11, Gov. Rendell provides special education with no increase. Given the economic crisis, it’s hard to complain when special education for students with disabilities is not cut like so many other programs.

On the other hand, special education is one of the fastest-growing cost items for public schools, and flat funding by the state for a second consecutive year falls far short of actual expenses.

This merely shifts the burden to local property taxes. In short, the current state system of funding and accountability for students with disabilities is completely broken.

Year after year, state officials have told families and disability advocates to be patient. But these important needs now seem to have been forgotten by many. Some brave legislators from both parties have decided that this situation cannot continue.

More than 80 state representatives and senators have co-sponsored House Bill 704 and Senate Bill 940. These bills would fix the state system for special education funding and accountability.

In 2009, the House Education Committee twice approved House Bill 704, by large bipartisan majority votes of 22-3 and 23-2. This reform legislation is necessary and responsible.

There would be no additional cost until 2011, which is after the economy has had a chance to recover. The cost in subsequent years is reasonable, raising state expenditures for special education by about 3.5 percent per year through a six-year period.

It also ensures that these new investments would make a real difference for children with disabilities. The accountability section of the bill requires that school districts spend the new dollars on items that will improve academic outcomes for students.

It is long past time for our commonwealth to address these important issues. We urge the leaders of the General Assembly to move House Bill 704 and Senate Bill 940 toward passage.

All individuals must be given a chance to contribute to our commonwealth to the best of their abilities.

A quality public education is the silver bullet that can make a lifetime difference for children with disabilities, their families, and all Pennsylvania communities.

Steve Suroviec is executive director of the Arc of Pennsylvania.

New Op-Eds on Special Education Funding Reform

admin — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 14:53:29 +0000

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

Special Education Funding Reform Next Steps

admin — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:33:42 +0000

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.

In a normal year, our bills for funding reform would have been adopted in the School Code Bill along with the annual budget. This year’s School Code Bill, House Bill 11, contains Representative Sturla’s version of our reform legislation (HB 704). Even though the General Assembly has not finished acting on the School Code Bill, we expect it to be adopted — and to contain our special education reforms in HB 704 — by the end of 2009. The legislature just had too much trouble agreeing on the budget to be able to handle the School Code Bill at the same time.

Bottom line — special education funding was not cut and we remain on track to adopt HB 704 by the end of the year. Note that our Senate companion bill, Senator Dinniman’s SB 940, also remains ready for action. Together, these two bills have attracted 80 bi-partisan co-sponsors. We even succeeded in negotiating with the Rendell Administration to get their support for making improvements to these bills.

Going forward, we must continue to work closely together and advocate aggressively in order to achieve the reforms we have sought. There are some in the legislature who may still resist fixing the state system for special education funding and accountability.

Also:

See a summary of the current contents of our reform legislation.
See ELC’s summary analysis of the 2009-10 state budget adopted last week.

Time to fix Pennsylvania’s special education funding

admin — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 01:38:49 +0000

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.

HB 704 Op-Ed in Courier Times

admin — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 13:38:18 +0000

The Bucks County Courier Times published an Op-Ed on HB 704:

Here’s the link: Special education funding falls short of meeting need

And here’s the article:

Special education funding falls short of meeting need
By: COLLEEN TOMKO AND BARUCH KINTISCH
Bucks County Courier Times

Next week the House Education Committee will vote on legislation fixing the state system for special education funding and accountability. House Bill 704, if enacted into law, would provide increased independence for children with disabilities by giving schools the resources they need to provide them with a quality education.

Pennsylvania last year adopted a landmark school funding formula for basic education, putting more dollars into the neediest schools and implementing rigorous accountability measures for school districts for the first time in 20 years. However, students who receive special education services were left out of the equation.

Our state legislators have heard – loud and clear – the message that it’s time to tackle funding and accountability reforms for students with disabilities, and have introduced legislation addressing many of the long-standing deficiencies in the state’s special education system.

That legislation (HB 704, and its companion, SB 940), provides the resources needed from the state to deliver an appropriate education for students who receive special education in Pennsylvania, and relieves pressure on school boards to raise local property taxes to meet increasing costs for these essential instructional services. Nearly 80 legislators have sponsored these bills to date on a bi-partisan basis.

Funding this crucial education reform in 2009-10 is possible through the federal education stimulus money. Using stimulus dollars to improve education for students with disabilities is not only a fiscally sound approach, but also represents a unique opportunity to address the needs of these often under-served students.

Much like the new basic education funding formula, which was adopted based on a costing-out study performed by the national education consulting firm Augenblick, Palaich and Associates, Inc., the proposed funding formula for special education is based on a similar study conducted by the same firm.

This special education costing-out report, released in February 2009, indicates nearly 400 of Pennsylvania’s 500 school districts have inadequate funding for special education. Statewide, the total gap in annual funding for special education is $380 million. The average per pupil shortfall is $1,947, based on a total of 194,862 students in districts with a funding gap.

The report, which was developed at the request of the Education Law Center of PA, the Disability Rights Network of PA and The Arc of Pennsylvania, identifies fundamental needs that often go under-served, such as proper teacher training, investment in assistive technology devices and materials, and support programs to include students with disabilities in their neighborhood schools.

The report also underscores the importance of finishing the funding reforms initiated last year and outlines the broader benefits special education funding reform would provide to the entire school community, including reduced teacher turnover, improved educational outcomes, and greater accountability for parents and taxpayers.

Several Bucks County school districts struggle to provide adequate resources to students with disabilities. The Bristol Borough School District, for instance, educates approximately 300 students who receive special education services, more than 20 percent of its total student population. In 2006-07, the year analyzed in the report, Bristol Borough had a special education funding gap of nearly $1,000 per student.

The current legislation would address special education funding shortfalls in districts such as Bristol Borough, Pennridge, and Quakertown Community School districts. The report documents a countywide shortfall in special education funding of just over $1 million. HB 704 would gradually increase funding to close this gap over several years and provide relief for local property taxes.

Put simply, establishing a new special education funding and accountability system can help Bucks County school districts improve outcomes – not merely for students who receive special education services – but for all students. Because the whole community benefits when children with disabilities receive an education preparing them for meaningful employment, higher education, and self-sufficiency.

The full report on Costing-Out the Resources Needed to Meet Pennsylvania’s Education Goals for Students with Disabilities is available at www.reformspecialedfunding.org.

June 30, 2009

Take Action Now!

admin — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:01:13 +0000

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.

FIRST ACTION NEEDED (Please read this now and take action before Wednesday, July 1!)

The House Education Committee will vote on House Bill 704 on Wednesday, July 1.

The bill has a total of 65 co-sponsors, including 13 members of the House Education Committee.

We need all of the Democrats and some Republicans on the Education Committee to vote for the bill, to ensure passage on Wednesday.

Please contact the Committee members listed below – especially the ones from your area – and ask them to vote for House Bill 704 next Wednesday.

Contact the members by phone (leave a detailed message), by e-mail, by letter, or schedule a meeting in their Harrisburg or district office.

Click on the names below to immediately see their web pages and full contact information.

SECOND ACTION NEEDED (Please read this now and take action this week!)

Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper (especially the papers in the communities represented by the Committee members listed below).

Explain why House Bill 704 should be adopted and why this is an important issue.

Talking Points

1. Please co-sponsor House Bill 704 and vote for the bill in the Education Committee on Wednesday, July 1.

2. I am asking you to support reform of the state funding and accountability system for special education.

3. The current funding system is broken, is unfair, and does not provide enough resources for special education in the right places. It sets the number of students eligible for state funding for special education at 16% regardless of whether the district has fewer or more students receiving special education. It also does not focus the funding on strategies that have a track record for improving student performance.

4. The school districts you represent need additional resources and support from the state.

5. I am your constituent and I have personal experience with how this broken system hurts children with disabilities and all students.

Thank you for taking quick action on this important issue. We are truly making great progress.

HOUSE EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Majority (Democrats)

Roebuck, James R., Jr. , Chairman – LEAD SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 783-1000 Philadelphia County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,277,752

Smith, Ken , Secretary – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 783-1359 Lackawanna County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $4,495,242

Curry, Lawrence H., Subcommittee Chairman on Higher Education – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 783-1079 Montgomery County (Part); Philadelphia County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,277,752

McIlvaine Smith, Barbara, Subcommittee Chairman on Special Education
– LEAD SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 705-1922 Chester County (Part)

Yudichak, John T., Subcommittee Chairman on Basic Education – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 787-1751 Luzerne County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $10,758,605

Carroll, Mike – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 787-3589 Luzerne County (Part); Monroe County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $5,100,606

Conklin, H. Scott
(717) 787-9473Centre County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $1,489,521

Grucela, Richard T. – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 705-1878 Northampton County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $1,593,149

Harkins, Patrick J. – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 787-7406 Erie County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,082,031

Longietti, Mark
(717) 772-4035 Mercer County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $2,074,633

O’Brien, Michael H. – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 783-8098 Philadelphia County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,277,752

Pallone, John E.
(717) 783-1819 Armstrong County (Part); Westmoreland County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,192,384

Wagner, Chelsa – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 783-1582 Allegheny County (Part) Allegheny County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $575,924

Wheatley, Jake
(717) 783-3783 Allegheny County (Part)

Youngblood, Rosita C. – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 787-7727 Philadelphia County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,277,752

Minority (Republicans)

Clymer, Paul I. , Chairman
(717) 783-3154 Bucks County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $702,782

Tallman, Will , Secretary
(717) 783-8875 Adams County (Part); York County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $1,867,992

O’Neill, Bernie, Subcommittee Chairman on Basic Education
(717) 705-7170 Bucks County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $26,090

Quigley, Thomas J., Subcommittee Chairman on Higher Education
(717) 772-9963 Montgomery County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $938,735

Rapp, Kathy L., Subcommittee Chairman on Special Education
(717) 787-1367 Forest County, Mckean County (Part), Warren County
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $5,717,958

Fleck, Mike
(717) 787-3335 Blair County (Part), Huntingdon County (Part), Mifflin County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $5,129,891

Metcalfe, Daryl D.
(717) 783-1707 Butler County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $1,871,514

Milne, Duane – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 787-8579 Chester County (Part)

Murt, Thomas P. – SPONSOR OF HB704
(717) 787-6886 Montgomery County (Part); Philadelphia County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $6,290,120

Reese, Mike
(717) 783-9311 Fayette County (Part); Westmoreland County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $4,431,193

Rock, Todd
(717) 783-5218 Franklin County (Part)
All Districts Total Gap in State Special Ed Funding = $1,972,195

Protected: Action needed this week

admin — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 18:34:25 +0000

Sen. Dinniman introduces SB 940

admin — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 19:39:19 +0000

Sen. Dinniman (D-19) yesterday introduced SB 940, a nearly identical version of HB 704, that would reform special education funding and accountability in Pennsylvania.