Special Needs Education: New State-Funded Options May Open To Families

Education in a public school system has not always been easy for students with special needs and for their families. However, a new bill may open up new state-funded options to these students and their families.

According to ABC WAAY31, House Bill 84 seeks to make education available to students with special needs without the rigor and difficulties that a public school system imposes. The aim of the bill is to offer more tailored learning suited for the requirements of a child, who has special needs.

The difficulty in mixing students that have different learning needs, as well as learning rate and momentum, commonly lies in special needs students and regular students getting in the way of effective learning for the other. Instead of a focused and targeted method of learning that special needs students and regular students each require, teachers are hard-put trying to give the best that they can to both groups.

However, private education for special needs students tends to be expensive. Private school or home schooling for special needs students is not something that parents can easily afford.

Under House Bill 84, 90% of the budget allocated for a student in a public school system will be redirected to the private school attendance or a home schooling of a child who has special needs. A special needs student may only avail of this benefit if that student is already registered in the current public school system.

The sponsor of House Bill 84, representative Ken Johnson (R-Moulton), explained that the bill will not take away from the educational trust fund. However, this will will merely re-appropriate the portion of it that a special needs student would use within the existing public school system.

Metrowest Daily News reports that among those clamoring for help from legislators in supporting schools that cater to special needs education are students with disabilities in Framingham, Massachusetts. These students are lobbying side by side with officials to make tailored education more accessible for students with special needs.