As the number of Pennsylvania students with disabilities rises, a new report says the share of state education funding has declined. Education advocates say state lawmakers can use this year's budget surplus to support the students.

In 2008, Pennsylvania contributed close to one-third of the total cost of special education, but by 2020 that amount dropped to 22%.

And meanwhile, costs have gone up for every school district, according to Sharon Ward - senior policy advisor with the Education Law Center, which published the report.

She said this hurts students in lower-wealth districts most and can lead to them missing out on services such as individualized education programs.

"What we hear from parents is that there are delays in the development of IEPs," said Ward. "If you can get to kids in the early grades and help them address a lot of their learning needs, it means they're going to have a more successful student career."

There were an estimated 308,000 students receiving special education services in the 2019-20 school year, up 14% from the 2008-09 school year.

The report adds that a lack of adequate special-education funding denies students access to individualized support, assistive technology and other interventions.

The report also includes policy recommendations for state lawmakers and education officials, such as adding $200 million in special education funding for the 2022-23 school year.

Ward added they'd like to see the state close the charter-school loophole, where districts must provide charter schools a fixed amount of funding per student regardless of disability.

"We'd like the charter schools to be held to the same cost-based system as district schools," said Ward. "Frankly, school districts are sending money to charter schools to serve students with disabilities and they're not; they're using those dollars for other purposes."

The Education Law Center, Public Interest Law Center and O'Melveny law firm were recently in the courtroom presenting their case that the way schools are funded in the state violates the education clause and equal-protection provisions of the state Constitution.

It awaits a decision by a Commonwealth Court judge.

Recent changes to Florida's education laws have removed information on consent, contraceptives and prenatal development from many health lessons at school.

Parents are concerned the Florida Department of Education's policies may leave some districts without vital instruction.

Stephana Ferrell, director of research and insight for the Florida Freedom to Read Project in Orange County, is worried about what she sees as gaps in her children's education, including access to comprehensive health information.

"It's unfortunate that parents have been opted out of these educational experiences," Ferrell stated. "But it's now time for us all to get informed about what our kids are missing and make the extra effort to ensure that our young citizens are armed with this information."

Advocacy groups, including PEN America and EveryLibrary, cautioned overcompliance with state laws may lead to the removal of books on topics like anatomy, teen pregnancy and sexual assault. In a joint letter, they urged Florida school superintendents and school board attorneys to exercise restraint and preserve the resources for students.

Ferrell described a clash between two views: one believing ignorance protects innocence, and another believing being informed is the best way to understand and avoid risks. She sided with the latter, saying education safeguards the community.

"We really are trying to encourage that information to remain available," Ferrell emphasized. "There are lots of nonfiction, well-written and age-appropriate materials that can be made available in the library, and have been made available in libraries in the past."

Florida school districts have struggled for years to determine which books should remain in libraries under laws signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The laws allow parents and others to challenge books deemed "inappropriate," though recent legislative changes limit the number of challenges. This fall, the Department of Education released a list of more than 700 books removed from, or discontinued in, schools statewide.


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New York's Board of Regents approved a Department of Education funding request for climate education.

The board is putting more than $536,000 aside for climate change education and materials.

New Jersey is the only state mandating climate change be taught in all subject areas. Connecticut teaches it as well, but primarily in science.

Emily Fano, director of climate resilience education programs with the National Wildlife Federation, described how climate change can be taught across multiple subject areas.

"There are so many ways climate can be integrated into math class, graphing greenhouse gas emissions for example," said Fano. "Social studies, you can talk about social movements like the youth climate movement that has grown by leaps and bounds all over the world."

She added that health classes could teach the health impacts of air pollution and poor air quality.

The funding allotment faces no opposition, and a Yale University report finds 81% of New York adults feel climate change should be taught in schools. This is higher than the national average of 75%.

If the funding's approved, climate change will be taught in New York schools starting in the 2026-2027 school year.

But, climate education has faced an uphill battle.

A bill establishing a course on climate change in elementary and secondary schools garnered widespread support. But, it failed in the state legislature.

Fano said along with a new climate education bill, more work must be done to make this a reality.

"We'll continue working with the state education department and our partners to make sure that our students are going to get the climate education they need and deserve," said Fano. "So, we will continue working on this issue regardless, but we really hope the Governor understands the urgency of this request."

While this funding request provides a framework for training current educators about how to teach climate change, Fano said she wants this training for people studying to be teachers.

An Education Week Research Center poll finds 18% of teachers don't address climate change because they feel out of their element discussing it.

School bus transportation challenges are impacting one central Indiana community.

Long ride times are more than an inconvenience, according to an October survey. Bus driver shortages and late arrivals to school have also been documented by the education advocacy group RISE INDY.

The organization says data show a correlation between these transportation hiccups and student outcomes and educational equity.

Katherine Chi, spokesperson for RISE INDY, said some Indianapolis Public School students are facing a "literacy crisis."

"Seventy-one percent of Marion County students, grades three through eight, are performing below grade level in literacy," said Chi. "If there was an innovative way for them to get to school, then they can attend school regularly and get the skills they need to succeed, including learning to read."

Eight hundred residents in five IPS districts took the poll. Forty-six percent of respondents feel a combined transportation system would promote student fairness.

Qualified drivers, safe vehicles, adult supervision and effective communication were also listed as the most valued components of a school-provided transportation system.

The Indiana General Assembly passed House Bill 1380 last year. The measure introduced changes to the state's student transportation policy.

Chi said it is important to understand what the community thinks about the revisions and the legislators' role in helping shape future policy and implementation.

"This bill requires the Secretary of Education to create a plan for a pilot program to address the use, operation and management of school transportation," said Chi. "We are going to continue to monitor this issue closely and just keep community informed on how everyone can support this critical work."

Eighty-three percent of poll respondents support a combined transportation system that would streamline operations, reduce costs and improve service reliability.

Convenient student pick-up and drop-off locations were also listed as important.