Senate News Update
From Senator Jane Earll
June 5, 2007

Special Education Funding

Summer means one thing for kids: fun and games, and no school.

For parents and grandparents, it's a time to look back on the school year and reflect on all of the successes, and setbacks, that are shaping the development of their growing youngsters.

For legislators at the state and federal levels, the end of the school year provides an opportunity to assess the strengths and weaknesses of public education.  One area that deserves close attention this year is special education.

Special education students require more individual attention from educators with the proper training to give them the best chance for academic success, and special education programs that are tailored to meet their unique educational needs can give these students the best chance for a bright, independent future.

The teachers are dedicated, and the extra effort often changes young lives for the better.

However, special education mandates from the federal government are placing a financial strain on state and local taxpayers.  The number of children with special needs in Pennsylvania has increased by less than 1 percent since 2000, but in that time the state has increased spending by more than 25 percent to meet the mandates of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).

Pennsylvania currently receives less than 15 percent of the national average per pupil expenditure for special education students from the federal government. IDEA allows Congress to appropriate up to 40 percent.  That's a huge gap.

Our local school districts are held accountable for 100 percent of the cost of complying with IDEA, but the federal government provides just 37 percent of the total cost of special education in Pennsylvania.  Children with special needs are a high priority, but local and state taxpayers cannot bear the brunt of this financial burden passed down by Congress.

I co-sponsored a Senate resolution that urges Congress to increase funding for special education. Senate Resolution 91, which received unanimous approval in the Senate on May 7th, calls on Congress to fund, to the full 40% level, the federal mandates on special education.

You can view this resolution at the General Assembly website, www.legis.state.pa.us, by clicking on "Session Info" and using "sr91" as the bill number.  This was a bi-partisan effort and although a resolution has persuasive force only, difficulty maintaining education funding levels in Pennsylvania could result in programs suffering if all responsible parties do not contribute their share of the costs.

As a state legislator, I'm sensitive about passing state laws that impose mandates on local governments and school districts without providing funding assistance.  The federal government needs to be just as sensitive.

Federal law has made clear how important special education is to the development of children who face a host of challenges.  It's important that Congress back up the law with the funds necessary to carry it out.

As always, if you have questions on this or any state government matter, please do not hesitate to call my office at 814-453-2515.