The Senate Education Committee voted unanimously on March 6 to support Senate Bill 1115, a bill to fix the state's broken system of special education funding and accountability.
As you know, the current funding system is broken, setting the number of students eligible for state funding for special education at 16% regardless of whether the school 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.
In 2010, we worked together and succeeded in getting the House to pass the same legislation (House Bill 704) by a vote of 173 to 25. SB 1115 next goes to the full Senate for a vote, and back to the House.
Even in this tough year we are close to making historic progress in ensuring that formulas -- not politics -- guide the distribution of state resources.
Please take a moment to contact your legislators to urge their support for this bill. You can find the Harrisburg office phone number and e-mail address for your legislators here - http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/home/findyourlegislator/#address.
