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House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted:	January 14, 2019 10:41 AM
From:	Representative Aaron Bernstine
To:	All House members
Subject:	Funding for McGuire Memorial (APS) [Former HB1521]

In the near future, I plan to introduce legislation to provide additional funding to the McGuire Memorial School, an approved private school (APS) in western Pennsylvania that provides specialized education to students with multiple or profound disabilities. APSs are approved by the Commonwealth under state statute to provide a special education for students with severe disabilities, who cannot be appropriately served by public school special education programs. As a result of their approved status, they are eligible to receive funds from school districts and the Commonwealth for the special education of eligible students. The McGuire Memorial School is the most recent school to receive APS status, and the school began to receive state funding assistance beginning with the 2015-2016 fiscal year. Since that time, it has become clear that there is additional demand for students to attend this school beyond the state-funded spots currently approved. My legislation will ensure that the McGuire Memorial School receives additional funding so that it can fill these new spots. The added funding will come from existing state funds from the previous fiscal year, which are returned to the Commonwealth by approved private schools, and will be added to base allocation for the McGuire Memorial School in subsequent years. I hope you will join me in co-sponsoring this legislation.

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