Category: Government Actions

Annual Chronic Conditions Count to be Conducted throughout the Commonwealth (February 7, 2019)

From March 15-30, 2019, the state-mandated Chronic Conditions Count is to be taken throughout the Commonwealth. Data collected is to be saved and then reported on the school district’s annual SHARRS report when it opens on May 15th.

The SHARRS instruction manual Chapter 13 provides further guidance on collecting this data at:

https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/Documents/School%20Health/SHARRS%20User%20Instr uction%20Manual%202016.pdf

Governor Wolf Unveils 2019-20 Proposed Budget (February 5, 2019)

On Tuesday, February 5, 2019, Governor Wolf delivered his proposed state budget to the General Assembly. The 2019-20 budget proposal of $34.15 billion proposal reveals a 2.8% increase, or $927.3 million, including increases in the basic education subsidy and special education line items. The governor’s proposed budget includes: 

  • A $200 million increase in new basic education funding, as well as $241.9 million, which had been previously appropriated as the Ready to Learn Block Grant, now being added to each school district’s base amount under the basic education funding formula. From the $200 million in new funds, $18 million would fund school districts who received increased Ready to Learn Block Grant funds in the 2018-19 fiscal year; $13.9 million would be used to increase the minimum starting salary of teachers and other education professionals (including counselors and school nurses), to at least $45,000 per year. In light of these adjustments, only about $168 million in new money would be run through the BEF formula.
  • The proposed budget also provides a 4.4% increase of $50 million to a total of $1.18 billion. The increase would be distributed through the special education funding formula. The governor also recommended that $300,000 of the 2019-20 special education appropriation be used for Keystone Telepresence Education Grants and allocated to intermediate units to purchase equipment to help children with serious illnesses or injuries to attend school using telepresence technologies.
  • The career and technical education governor’s budget includes a $10 million increase for those programs. Also, the funding for Career and Technical Education Equipment Grants remains level at $2.5 million.
  • Funding for state and federal testing programs, including PSSAs and the Keystone Exams, would get a $1 million increase for a total of $50.4 million.
  • The budget provides $5.95 million for teacher professional development, an increase of $650,000.
  • Funding for pupil transportation would be level-funded at $549 million.
  • The governor’s proposed budget provides $45 million for the School Safety and Security Fund.
  • The governor’s budget provides an additional $160.5 million (6.45 %) increase to $2.6 billion to cover the state’s share of school retiree pension costs.
  • Early intervention programming would receive a $15 million increase, Pre-K Counts would receive a $40 million increase, and the Head Start Supplemental Assistance Program would receive a $10 million increase. 

Lastly, the proposed budget recommends lowering the compulsory school attendance age from eight to six years old. Similarly, the budget seeks a mandated study on the effectiveness of lowering the compulsory age of school attendance to five years old and to provide information regarding universal access to full-day kindergarten for all children. The budget also recommends raising the state’s minimum dropout age for compulsory school attendance from 17 to 18 years old.

Thanks to PSBA for providing information used in this article.

USDE Announces Annual Deaf-Blind Child Count for Infants, Toddlers, Preschoolers, and Students (February 3, 2019)

Annually, the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), requires the Pennsylvania Deaf-Blind Project to conduct the National Deaf-Blind Child Count, formerly called the National Deaf-Blind Census.  The Deaf-Blind Child Count records the number of infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students who have dual sensory impairments or who are at risk of developing dual sensory impairments, and who are enrolled in early intervention or special education as of the December 1, 2017 Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) child count. 

The count will be conducted beginning February 1, 2019.  Each Local Educational Agencies (LEA) must verify and submit their information no later than February 28, 2019.  It is important for Pennsylvania to have an accurate Deaf-Blind Child Count as this information is tied to funding research, training, and technical assistance for this population of children.

LEAs are advised that, regarding the Deaf-Blind Child Count, the federal definition of deaf-blindness is more inclusive and extensive than the one used for the IDEA child count.  Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students should be reported in the count if they meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students whose primary or secondary diagnosis is deaf-blindness;
  • Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students who have a mild to severe hearing loss and some degree of vision impairment that requires adaptations or modifications;
  • Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students who have a diagnosis that places them at risk for developing a hearing loss and visual impairment; and
  • Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and students with multiple disabilities who may demonstrate inconsistent responses to light and sound.

It is important for each Early Intervention Program and LEA to participate in the Deaf-Blind Child Count.

The Deaf-Blind Child Count website is: https://www.leaderservices.com/_DBcensus.

Questions regarding the data collection system or responsibilities for entering child data into the Deaf-Blind Child Count, should be emailed to [email protected].

US House Adds New Subcommittee (February 3, 2019)

Last week, the House Education and Labor Committee voted to add a new subcommittee on civil rights and human services. The formation of the new subcommittee is in response to the Trump Administration’s controversial decisions regarding civil rights in education and the alarm they have precipitated.

The new panel will be chaired by Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-Ore.) and the leading Republican on the subcommittee is Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.).

Safety and Security Grant Changes Announced by PCCD (February 3, 2019)

The School Safety and Security Committee of the PA Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) sent a memo dated January 31, 2019 informing school entities that filed for the Part B competitive grants of a three (3) week period for the revision and re-submitting of their applications beginning February 4, 2019 and ending February 25, 2019. The memo can be viewed at https://www.psba.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/School-Safety-and-Security-Program-Grant-.pdf
 
The committee decided to grant allow applicants to revise their grant requests due to the large response and competitiveness regarding the application process.