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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 14, 2013 10:23 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Thomas H. Killion |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Formula Change for Approved Private Schools and Chartered Schools for the Deaf and Blind |
| In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation to address future state funding for Approved Private Schools (APS) and Chartered Schools for the Deaf and Blind (Chartered Schools). These schools exist to provide highly specialized education programs and services to eligible students between the ages of 2 and 21 with severe and complex disabilities who cannot receive appropriate special education programs in the public school sector. State funding for APSs and Chartered schools are based on prior year increase of state special education appropriation. These schools have now been level funded for three years, while school districts received significant ARRA funding for special education services during those same years. Without an amendment to Act 70, the APSs and Chartered schools may be receiving no increase in state funding for multiple fiscal years with no end in sight. These schools can't levy taxes or charge parents additional tuition as a means of coping with rising costs and flattened funding. My legislation just provides for a variation from the standard formula during budget years when there is no increase in the state appropriation for special education. In the year following such a flat line in special education funding there would be an increase for the APSs and Chartered schools equal to the increase they received the previous fiscal year. For 2013-14 that would be a 2.075% increase in funding for APSs and Chartered schools, which equals $2.853M. I believe this is a fair solution that provides the necessary funds needed by APSs and Chartered schools that serve our most severely disabled children. Please contact Alison in my office at ahagler@pahousegop.com if you have any questions. |
Introduced as HB660