PRINTER'S NO. 2016
No. 140 Session of 1989
INTRODUCED BY SAURMAN, FOX, COWELL, LASHINGER, CESSAR, NAILOR,
WOGAN, JADLOWIEC, CARLSON, ROBINSON, TRELLO, JACKSON,
CORNELL, PETRONE, GIGLIOTTI, E. Z. TAYLOR, MORRIS, BURD,
WASS, REBER, HAGARTY, BISHOP, RICHARDSON, D. F. CLARK,
STABACK, FARGO, FAIRCHILD, CIVERA, GODSHALL, GLADECK, CARN,
O'BRIEN, MARSICO, DEMPSEY, WESTON, PHILLIPS, COHEN, FARMER,
HESS, LANGTRY, NAHILL, CLYMER, GRUPPO, ANGSTADT, DIETTERICK,
MERRY, MRKONIC, KASUNIC, BELARDI, HALUSKA, SERAFINI AND
MOWERY, JUNE 12, 1989
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, JUNE 12, 1989
A RESOLUTION
1 Providing for the appointment of the House Education Committee
2 to investigate policies and procedures for funding special
3 education.
4 WHEREAS, Commonwealth authorities entered into a court-
5 approved consent agreement in October 1971 which committed the
6 Commonwealth "to place each mentally retarded child in a free,
7 public program of education and training appropriate to the
8 child's capacity"; and
9 WHEREAS, This shift of public policy was accompanied by clear
10 and unmistakable promise that the Commonwealth would pay the
11 extra costs generated thereby; and
12 WHEREAS, School districts and intermediate units are annually
13 required to prepare special education plans "for the proper
14 education and training of all exceptional children" in
15 accordance with the standards and regulations of the State Board
1 of Education; and
2 WHEREAS, The Department of Education has failed, since 1974,
3 to fulfill its promise to fund excess costs, has ignored the
4 statutory scheme for special education, and has neglected to
5 conduct budget reviews in relationship to the programmatic needs
6 of school districts and intermediate units; and
7 WHEREAS, The Department of Education has instead adopted and
8 continues to use an arbitrary and counterproductive system for
9 allocation of special education funds; and
10 WHEREAS, The department's current funding allocation results
11 in an arbitrary determination of the amount the Commonwealth
12 will spend on special education regardless of programmatic
13 needs; and
14 WHEREAS, It is necessary to improve the current system by
15 exercising cost containment through more efficient and effective
16 targeting of special education funds, through review procedures
17 designed to eliminate or reform unnecessary or ineffective
18 programs and services, and through the rejection of budgetary
19 requests that exceed what is reasonable to finance necessary
20 programs and services; and
21 WHEREAS, Legislative action will be necessary in the event
22 the Department of Education fails to reform its flawed procedure
23 for reviewing special education budget requests and for
24 allocating special education funds; therefore be it
25 RESOLVED, That the House Education Committee investigate
26 policies and procedures for special education funding, including
27 the department's current system for reviewing special education
28 budget requests and for allocating special education funds to
29 school districts and intermediate units. The committee shall
30 seek input from all concerned parties in the conduct of its
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1 investigation, including the Department of Education, school
2 districts, intermediate units, other providers and advocacy
3 groups; and be it further
4 RESOLVED, That the committee shall report to the House of
5 Representatives on its activities, findings and recommendations
6 as soon as possible, and shall issue interim reports to the
7 House of Representatives as the committee deems necessary.
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