Pennsylvania schools are getting a $55 million bump in special education funding for the upcoming school year, thanks to the state budget adopted on July 12. This brings the total state funding for education services for children with disabilities to $1.58 billion.
With about one in five students in Pennsylvania receiving special education services, this funding is desperately needed. School districts are facing huge spikes in costs for everything from transportation to specialized classroom equipment like sensory items and communication devices.
While school administrators are grateful for the boost, many note that it still falls short of covering the full cost of these complex and resource heavy programs. The new money will be spread across about 500 school districts, helping to fund things like new autism and emotional support classrooms, speech therapy, physical therapy, and occupational therapy.
If you have a child in special education in Pennsylvania, this is a good time to check in with your district about how they plan to use these funds to support students this year.
You can read more about the funding increase in the Erie Times-News report.