May 8, 2012 Legislative Education Update
Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Senate Republican Budget Eliminates SAEBG, Restores ABG Funding
Today the Senate Appropriations Committee amended and unanimously approved a 2012-13 state budget plan crafted by Senate Republican leadership that is significantly different to the one introduced by Gov. Corbett in February and contained in SB 1466. As amended, SB 1466 will now go to the Senate floor where it could be further amended. Once passed, the bill will move to the House, where additional changes will be made. The amendments to SB 1466 raise the budget from $27.15 billion as proposed by the governor to $27.65 billion. The new plan restores about $500 million in cuts to higher and basic education and social services. In general, the plan adds enough to higher education to bring state system and state-related universities at level funding for next year, restores some money for early childhood programs and mental health services, and makes various distinctions.
Major restorations affecting K-12 education:
* The addition of $50 million for the Accountability Block Grant program.
It has been suggested that additional funding for the ABG could be included by the House when the bill moves to that chamber.
* The addition of $50 million in supplemental subsidy funds for distressed school districts.
* The addition of $650,000 for the Science in Motion program.
* No inclusion of the Student Achievement Education Block Grant (SAEBG) proposed by the governor for distribution of education funds currently calculated through separate formulas, including the basic subsidy, pupil transportation and Social Security. The SAEBG is zeroed-out in the Senate Republican plan.
* Funding for the basic education subsidy, pupil transportation, non-public and charter school pupil transportation and school employees Social Security are continued under separate line items.
What this means for school officials:
Your voices are being heard, and you must continue to bring these key messages and “asks” to your members of the Senate and House:
* Oppose the creation of the Student Achievement Education Block Grant which collapses four education line items into a single block grant. Support continued separate funding and the formulas in place for the calculation of each school district’s payments for Basic Education Funding, Pupil Transportation and School Employees’ Social Security. The SAEBG not only underfunds public education for the 2012-13 fiscal year, but also shifts costs to the local property taxpayer. This block grant has nothing to do with achievement or flexibility. The SAEBG combines four separate funding streams and disconnects the relationship that exists between the cost of services and the responsibility of the state to fund each adequately. The SAEBG approach abandons current formulas that count students, look at the costs associated with the service, and consider the wealth of a community and its ability to support its students. There is no real additional flexibility since all revenues received for the targeted programs are used to pay invoices and obligations. For example, social security must be paid in the exact percentage now being assessed by the federal government and cannot be changed.
* Support restoration of the Accountability Block Grant. The Senate restored $50 million of this $100 million program that provides real flexibility for school districts. The grant is used to fund research-based programs such as full-day kindergarten, tutoring and other programs proven to increase student achievement. Loss of these funds and the programs they support will have a detrimental effect on student success.
* Support continued reimbursement for school construction projects and oppose the moratorium on school construction projects. There are numerous school construction projects now in process that are not expected to receive partial reimbursement from the state via its PlanCon process. Notifying school districts after they have borrowed funds that the repayment is to be solely funded by local taxpayers is irresponsible.
* Support the overall need for mandate relief that gives school districts the flexibility to control their costs and direct more funds to where they are most needed –the classroom. Reform of the Prevailing Wage Act, the Separations Act, and the process for delinquent tax collection, just to name a few, would be positive steps forward in reducing the burden of mandates on our districts, allowing them to focus valuable dollars on education.
* Specifically, support funding reform to the charter school law to reduce the financial drain on districts so that payments to charter and cyber charter schools reflect the true cost of providing instruction for those students that are actually attending their schools. Under current Pennsylvania law, how much funding a cyber charter school receives does not correspond to how much it actually costs to run a cyber charter school. The absence of accounting for how much it truly costs to provide a cyber charter education leads to a lack of accountability for many. Pennsylvania’s Auditor General reports that it actually costs virtual schools about $2,000 per student less than brick and mortar charter schools to educate students. With funding reform and additional proper oversight by the Commonwealth, virtual charter schools can be appropriately funded, transparency can be enhanced and, hopefully, student success achieved.
March 8, 2012 Legislative Education Update
Thursday, March 8th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
March 8, 2012 Legislative Report
The Senate was in session this week. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives will resume session on March 12.
This week:
* PSBA testifies on “Right-to-Know” bill
* Senate Education Committee reports bills
This week PSBA presented testimony to the Senate State Government Committee regarding SB 247, which amends the “Right-to-Know Law” to make various changes regarding public records. Representing PSBA was Deputy Chief Counsel Emily J. Leader, whose comprehensive comments primarily focused on issues related to the need to balance the degree of access the legislature intended for requesters to have to public records and the burden on government agencies which translates to time and money.
Senate Education Committee Reports Bills
This week the Senate Education Committee approved these bills of interest:
- SB 209, which requires schools to annually disclose interscholastic athletic opportunities provided to secondary school students in the preceding year. Information to be reported includes the total value of contributions and purchases made on behalf of each team by alumni, booster clubs and other non-school sources and total expenditures for each team in the school year. As amended, the bill does not apply to private schools and applies only to public school districts, area vocational-technical centers and charter schools, and makes various technical changes.
- SB 1115, which implements a new special education funding formula, establishing how any increases in the special education appropriation are distributed using weighting factors based on category of disability. The bill also creates a Legislative Commission on Special Education Funding to develop the components of a new formula, including the weighting factors and the parameters of each category of disability. The commission must issue a report and the State Board of Education must then promulgate regulations based on the report. If the commission fails to make a timely report, the State Board would proceed to develop regulations on the components of the formula. The commission must review the funding formula components every five years. SB 1115 also creates new accountability, monitoring and planning requirements with regard to the use of state special education funds, and allows PDE to withhold the portion of a district’s annual state increase in special education funding above the index until a special education plan, update or revision is approved. PDE may also withhold up to 5% of federal and state special education funding for school districts determined to be failing to adequately implement their special education plans, not making annual progress to meet student needs or inappropriately over-identifying students for special education services. These monitoring requirements and penalties do not apply to charter or cyber charter schools. An amendment was inserted into the bill to redefine the method for counting and classifying special education students. The amendment maintains the three categories of need, but amends the process for calculating category 3 (highest need) students by including all students in regular classrooms but capping students in other learning environments at 3.5% or the target established in the Part B State Annual Performance Plan. The amendment also expands the commission from three to 12 members. Finally, the amendment establishes an administration reduction goal of 10% for the implementation of special education programs.
- SB 1296, which establishes a process for the contracting of superintendents and assistant superintendents in public school districts. The bill defines contract criteria such as timeframe, performance evaluation standards, and benefit limitations as well. It extends to further define termination processes for superintendents and assistant superintendents while also applying the Right to Know Law to the full scope of the process. As amended, SB 1296 further defines the contracting procedure for superintendents and assistant superintendents and specifically exempts first class school districts from the provisions of the bill. The bill limits the term of a contract for superintendents with no prior experience to three years. It also prevents termination, buyout and severance provisions from modification once the contract has been executed. Finally, the bill requires boards to perform annual performance evaluations on superintendents based on criteria that must be identified within the contract itself.
The committee discussed but did not take action on HB 1610, which requires the Departments of Health and Education to provide information about the signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest to be given to parents of children wishing to participate in interscholastic athletics.
On the Hill: Upcoming meetings and events currently scheduled include:
Monday, March 12
* The House Finance Committee will conduct a public hearing on HB 2230, which amends The Local Tax Enabling Act to allow counties to enact through referendum a 1% sales tax for the purpose of reducing the property tax levels in the county’s school districts. The bill also allows counties, municipalities and school districts to enact a personal income tax or an earned income tax as a replacement for property taxes. PSBA will be presenting testimony at the hearing.
Tuesday, March 13
* The House Education Committee will consider these two bills:
- HB 431, which requires the Departments of Education and Health to develop and make available to schools guidelines for the training of school employees in diabetes care and treatment. The bill outlines minimum guidelines, training schedule, a diabetes medical management plan, and rules governing independent monitoring and treatment.
- HB 2028, which amends Public School Code to allow work in excess of $10,000 to be done on a single contract. The bill clarifies that the Separations Act would not apply to school districts and charter schools.
Wednesday & Thursday, March 14 – 15
* The State Board of Education will meet. Among the items on the agenda is discussion of the board’s proposed changes to the Chapter 4 regulations regarding graduation requirements and Keystone Exams. The board also is expected to withdraw its proposed Chapter 10 regulations and model MOU regarding school safety and response to make technical revisions for form and legality; the proposal will then be re-submitted for final consideration through the regulatory review process.
January 20, 2012 Legislative Education Update
Friday, January 20th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
The General Assembly was in session this week and will return to Harrisburg on Monday, Jan. 23.
Recent Education News:
* U.S. Department of Education issues guidance on amended disabilities law
* Education secretary meets with House Education Committee
* Pennsylvania’s efforts highlighted for improving school readiness and success for children
* On the Hill: Upcoming meetings
U.S. Department of Education Issues Guidance on Amended Disabilities Law
This week the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights issued a Dear Colleague letter concerning the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADA). The letter and an accompanying “Frequently Asked Questions” document provide additional guidance on the requirements of ADA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (Section 504) in elementary and secondary schools, given the changes to those laws made by the Amendments Act. The Amendments Act, effective Jan. 1, 2009, amends the ADA, as well as the Rehabilitation Act. The act broadened the meaning of disability and, in most cases, shifts the inquiry away from the question of whether a student has a disability as defined by the ADA and Section 504, and toward school districts’ actions and obligations to ensure equal education opportunities. The Dear Colleague letter and FAQ discuss the various obligations of school districts, such as the requirement to evaluate students for disability, and provide a free appropriate public education to students with disabilities, as well as the changes made by the Amendments Act.
Education Secretary Meets with House Education Committee
This week the House Education Committee held an informational meeting with Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis to brief committee members on the administration’s education initiatives for the coming year. The secretary told committee members that the administration’s top priorities continue to be charter expansion, school choice, EITC and teacher evaluations. He also expressed support for vocational education programs and emphasis on STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) programs. He did not preview any information that will be contained in Gov. Corbett’s proposed 2012-13 budget that will be delivered on Feb. 7.
Pennsylvania’s Efforts Highlighted for Improving School Readiness and Success for Children
Pennsylvania’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning (OCDEL) cited a recent article that highlights the state’s efforts regarding school readiness. The article, ‘Improving School Readiness and Success for Children”, by the Social/Emotional Development and Learning (SEDL) Southeast Comprehensive Center, reviews the significance of school readiness and factors that help young learners prepare for school. The article highlights the efforts by OCDEL as the first state to implement its Early Learning Council and one of the first to establish learning standards for early childhood. Since research clearly demonstrates that learning begins at birth and that addressing children’s developmental needs early will increase their chances of success, school readiness has come to the national forefront as an entry point for providing interventions that can compensate for early disadvantages and thus improve educational outcomes for children.
On the Hill: Upcoming Meetings
Upcoming events currently scheduled include:
Tuesday, Jan. 24:
* The Senate Education Committee will meet to discuss financially distressed school districts.
Thursday, Jan. 26:
* The House Education Committee will hold an informational meeting to hear presentations from cyber charter school administrators regarding cyber charter school funding and other operating issues.
January 16, 2012 Legislative Education Update
Monday, January 16th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
The General Assembly was in recess last week and will return to Harrisburg on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2012.
Recent News:
* Quality Counts report ranks PA 13th in the nation for education performance
* PDE may seek to freeze AYP targets
* PDE issues statement regarding payment for cyber charter students who enroll before they reach district’s minimum enrollment age
* USDOE releases state reports profiling first-year progress under Race to the Top
* Reps. Curry, Santoni join list of legislators not seeking reelection in 2012
Quality Counts Report Ranks PA 7th in the Nation for k-12 Achievement
This week Education Week published Quality Counts 2012 , its annual report card for the nation and individual states for education performance. Pennsylvania ranked 7th in the nation for K-12 achievement and 13th in the nation overall when graded across the six distinct areas of policy and performance tracked by the report. The report shows that Pennsylvania received a grade at or above the average state score on five of the six areas.
PDE May Seek to Freeze AYP Targets
State Education Secretary Ronald Tomalis told the State Board of Education that he has spoken with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, asking to amend the state plan for implementation of the federal No Child Left Behind Act to freeze adequate yearly progress levels at this year’s levels until the law is reauthorized. The law requires 100% students to be proficient on state reading and math tests by 2014. Each year the targets become higher. In reading, the targets were raised from 63% in 2010 to 72% for 2011 and will jump to 81% in 2012. In math, the AYP target increased from 56% in 2010 to 67% in 2011 and will jump to 78% in 2012. The U.S. Department of Education has granted waivers to some states that have requested them in return for agreeing to adopt various initiatives.
PDE Issues Statement Regarding Payment for Cyber Charter Students Who Enroll Before They Reach District’s Minimum Enrollment Age
The state Department of Education has issued a statement to update school districts and charter schools on a recent court decision and the resulting funding consequences for both. On Nov. 23, 2011, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court issued an order in the case of Slippery Rock Area School District v. Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School, regarding the enrollment of a 4-year-old kindergarten student in the cyber charter school. The decision reversed an earlier decision from Commonwealth Court by concluding a school district did not have an obligation to fund or submit payments for those students who enroll in a cyber charter school but have not yet reached the minimum age of enrollment established by the resident school district. As a result of this decision, PDE may not withhold funding from a school district for 4-year-old kindergarten students when the student’s school district of residence would not permit them enrollment at that age. If PDE receives invoices or reconciliation reports from charter schools seeking payment for 4-year-old kindergarten students, the department will not determine whether the resident school district offers a 4-year-old kindergarten program in its district schools, however. PDE maintains that it is the responsibility of the charter school and school district to ensure that the information before the department accurately reflects local school district enrollment policies. Therefore, the following requirements now apply:
(1) When a charter school submits invoices and reconciliation reports to PDE seeking payment for its students, the charter school shall not include any 4-year-old kindergarten students who are residents of school districts that do not offer a 4-year-old kindergarten program. (2) If 4-year-old students are included in a charter school’s invoices or reconciliation reports, it is the responsibility of each school district to notify PDE of its objection to payment for 4-year-old kindergarten students enrolled in a charter school if the school district does not offer a 4-year-old kindergarten program. Because the court did not explicitly state that its decision was retroactive, PDE will process subsidy deductions from school districts and make payment to charter schools for any 4-year-old kindergarten students enrolled in charter schools for any time period prior to Nov. 23, 2011. The department will not provide refunds to school districts for deductions made from school districts and subsequent payments to charter schools for 4-year-old kindergarten students enrolled in charter schools for any time period prior to Nov. 23, 2011. However, the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School has asked the court to clarify its decision and/or allow charter schools to receive payment for all 4-year-old kindergarten students for the entire 2011-12 school year. Therefore, if the court clarifies its decision and/or issues a new order that contradicts PDE’s position regarding payment for 4-year-old kindergarten students, the department will comply with any new decision or order from the court.
This week the U.S. Department of Education released state-specific reports profiling first-year progress on comprehensive education reform under Race to the Top.
The reports document reform efforts underway in Delaware, D.C., Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Tennessee, the 12 grantees that secured Race to the Top funding in 2010 through the competition’s first two phases. Annual reports will be available again in years 2 and 3 along with a final report in year 4 to provide transparent and ongoing updates on progress. To date, a total of 21 states and D.C. have been awarded grants through three phases of Race to the Top. Pennsylvania recently was awarded $41 million under round three of the grant program. The grant will be allocated over the next four years by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Half of the grant funding will be appropriated to local education agencies, such as school districts and intermediate units. According to the governor’s office, a significant focus of this grant will be used for the statewide implementation of a new teacher evaluation system. It will also provide the means to develop a new principal evaluation, which is planned to be piloted during the 2012-13 school year.
Reps. Curry, Santoni Join List of Legislators not Seeking Reelection in 2012
Last week Rep. Larry Curry (D-Montogmery) and Dante Santoni, (D-Berks), announced that they will not seek re-election this year in the House of Representatives. Curry and Santoni join the list of the following members have announced they will be retiring and not be seeking reelection in 2012: Senators Jane Earll (R-Erie); Jeff Piccola (R-Dauphin); and Mary Jo White (R-Venango); and Representatives Scott Boyd (R-Lancaster); Ron Buxton (D-Dauphin); Tom Creighton (R-Lancaster); John Evans (R-Erie); Jennifer Mann (D-Lehigh); Curt Schroder (R-Chester); and Edward Staback (D-Lackawanna).
January 6, 2012 Legislative Update
Friday, January 6th, 2012 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Legislative Update: January 6, 2012
Recent News:
* General Assembly convenes
* State revenues down, governor calls for freeze in spending
* School assault bill signed into law
* New law updates terminology related to mental retardation
* Pennsylvania receives $41 million in “Race to the Top” funding
General Assembly Convenes
This week, the General Assembly convened the second half of the 2011-12 session on Jan. 3 as required by the state’s constitution that calls for legislators to meet on the first Tuesday of January each year. Sen. Joe Scarnati (R-25) was sworn in as President Pro Tempore of the Senate for 2012, the sixth time Senate colleagues have elected him to the office.
Following this week’s ceremonies, both the Senate and House adjourned and will reconvene on Jan. 17, 2012.
State Revenues Down, Governor Calls for Freeze in Spending
This week the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue reported that the state collected $2.3 billion in General Fund revenue in December, which was $141.5 million, or 5.9%, less than anticipated.
Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $11.6 billion, which is $486.8 million, or 4%, below estimate.
As revenues continue to come in below estimate for the 2011-12 fiscal year, Gov. Tom Corbett directed his Budget Office to freeze nearly $160 million in state spending.
The governor also has asked government entities not under his jurisdiction to reduce their spending by nearly $66 million. The governor has directed most agencies to reduce their overall 2011-12 spending by 3%. Some individual appropriations will see spending reductions of up to 10%. However, basic education subsidy funds paid to school districts will not be affected, and the Department of Public Welfare will see a spending reduction of less than 1%, or $55 million.
The governor is expected to present his 2012-13 Budget proposal on Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012. The governor’s office notes that among the challenges for the new budget is pension cost growth of $520 million ($320 million for school employees’ retirement and $200 million for state employees’ retirement that agencies must absorb).
Senate budget hearings will be held: February 13, 14, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 and March 1, 2012. The House budget hearings will be held: February 21, 22, 23, 24, 27, 28, 29 and March 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 2012.
School Assault Bill Signed into Law
On Dec. 20, 2011 Gov. Corbett signed into law SB 1183, now Act 111 of 2011, which creates the offense of institutional sexual assault in a school or child center setting. The provisions of Act 111 would apply whether or not the student is 16 years old, the age of consent in Pennsylvania. The new law incorporates language creating the offense of institutional sexual abuse, which would make it unlawful for a teacher, coach or other employee of a public or private school, or a volunteer or employee of a center for children to engage in sexual intercourse, deviate sexual intercourse, or indecent contact with a student, or a child receiving services at the center. The penalty would be a third-degree felony that would be punishable by up to seven years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to $15,000. The new law also brings Pennsylvania into compliance with the federal Adam Walsh Act, which aims to coordinate efforts between states in monitoring and tracking sex offenders by making more information available on a centralized Internet database. Additional information includes DNA samples, palm prints and fingerprints, passport and expanded vehicle information. Juvenile offenders convicted of serious sex offenses, such as rape, will also now be included in the required registration process. While their information and photos will not be available to the public, it will be available to law enforcement officials.
New Law Updates Terminology Related to Mental Retardation
The governor also recently signed into law SB 458, now Act 105 of 2011, which updates terminology relating to mental retardation. The law amends the Mental Health and Mental Retardation Act of 1966 to replace the terms “mental retardation” and “mentally retarded” with the terms “intellectual disability” and “those with intellectual disabilities.” The act is renamed as the Mental Health and Intellectual Disability Act. It takes effect immediately. Last year President Obama signed “Rosa’s Law,” which mandates that federal statutes use the term “intellectual disabilities” instead of “mental retardation.”
Pennsylvania Receives $41 Million in “Race to the Top” Funding
Gov. Corbett recently announced that Pennsylvania has been awarded $41,326,299 under round three of the federally funded “Race to the Top” grant program. Pennsylvania joins 22 other states that have received “Race to the Top” grants. The grant will be allocated over the next four years by the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Half of the grant funding will be appropriated to local education agencies, such as school districts and intermediate units. According to the governor’s office, a significant focus of this grant will be used for the statewide implementation of a new teacher evaluation, which is currently being piloted in more than 100 school districts, charter schools, career and technical centers, and intermediate units. It will also provide the means to develop a new principal evaluation, which is planned to be piloted during the 2012-13 school year. In addition, funding will also be directed to further develop Pennsylvania’s Standards Aligned System, which provides educators with tools and resources to improve student achievement. Funding will also be allocated to provide students with greater access to quality charter schools and online curricular options that may not be available in their district, especially science, technology, engineering and math courses.
Education Leglislative Update 11/23/11
Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
Legislative Update 11/23/11 – The PA House of Representatives has nine scheduled remaining voting days (Dec. 5, 6, 7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 19, and 20) before the end of the year. One item the House may be considering is the Voucher/Charter/EITC Expansion legislation. The details of the House plan are still being developed. It has been suggested that the House may try to replace the voucher plan under SB1, as passed by the PA Senate on October 26, for a scaled back plan that would reduce the number of eligible schools from the 144 proposed by the Senate to as few as 50. Further, the program would only be offered as a pilot program that would expire in 3-5 years; the General Assembly would have to reauthorize it after that time if vouchers were to continue. This revised version of the SB1 voucher plan would likely be unacceptable to pro-voucher advocates who would like to see the full enactment of SB1 and is still not a good option for public schools.
From the public school perspective:
Under the SB1 Voucher Bill there is no accountability to PA taxpayers. There is no provision requiring any follow-up on the academic progress of students who enter into nonpublic or private schools using a voucher and no oversight of the taxpayer dollars that would flow to private and religious schools.
It is unaffordable to taxpayers, to schools, and to the students who would remain in struggling schools. The costs of this program would come at a time when many taxpayers are facing unemployment or under-employment and the loss of benefits, and when many school districts are facing severe economic challenges. Sending taxpayer dollars to private and religious schools undermines a school district’s ability to provide the remaining students with the quality education they deserve.
It is unpopular and unwanted by the majority. Sixty-five percent (65%) of residents oppose taxpayer funded tuition vouchers based on a recent survey by Terry Madonna Opinion Research. This is the third time in a year that the majority of Pennsylvanians have responded to this question with a resounding “No”.
It may be unconstitutional – possibly violating three provisions of the Pennsylvania Constitution.
Charter School Expansion is unproven. PA’s charter school performance is a mixed record and many are underperforming. The 2011 PSSA results show that only sixty percent (60%) of charter schools reached targets for Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) as required under federal law, while ninety-four percent (94%) of school districts reached targets for AYP. And, only two (2) of the state’s 12 cyber charter schools made AYP. Also, a study conducted by Stanford University in April 2011 showed that, compared to the educational gains the charter school students would have received in their traditional public school – they were making smaller learning gains. The research also found the performance at cyber charter schools to be substantially lower than the performance at brick and mortar charters, with 100% of cyber charters performing significantly worse than their traditional public school counter parts in both reading and math.
Cyber/Charter Schools are unaffordable. All funding for cyber and charter schools is now provided by the school district, based on local expenditures, which places a significant burden on district resources. Presently, Warwick has 89 students in the cyber/charter school program, at a cost of $856,544 to our taxpayers. Unfortunately, proposed legislation does not provide funding reform in any meaningful way and delays any prospect for relief in the near future.
Unaccountable. Charter school reforms presently do not include any accountability measures. Appropriate mechanisms for authorization, oversight, and intervention are needed to remedy, not only funding and governance concerns, but to establish and maintain financial and academic accountability. One major area of concern with some of the charter school reform proposals is that they allow multiple entities to authorize new charter schools, expanding charter schools with no involvement from local communities. The key problem with multiple authorizers is that they would have no direct connection or responsibility to the local communities and the taxpayers they will affect.
Please contact your legislators if you have concerns over bill SB1 and the possible voucher bill that may head to the House for a vote before year’s end.
New Education Legislation Update Page
Tuesday, November 8th, 2011 | Uncategorized | No Comments
This new page on our website is designed to keep you informed of educational issues and pending legislation that may affect Warwick School District and public schools across the state. Please check this page for messages from Dr. April Hershey, superintendent of Warwick schools and legislative pending action/action taken. On the right side of this page are links for the State Senate and House of Representatives, in addition to links for our local representatives – Senator Mike Brubaker and House Representative John Bear, among others. We encourage you to write, email, or call your legislators with questions and concerns.
To talk with someone from the Warwick School District, please contact us at: (717) 626-3734 or email: lzimmerman@warwicksd.org.