Rep Shea Introduces Bills To Help With Special Ed Costs

HARTFORD — State Representative Pat Shea, R-112 District, has introduced bills that would lower the cost to towns of providing special education and require parental permission for students to participate in school surveys concerning drug use, sexual behavior, or other sensitive subjects.

Rep Shea represents part of Newtown and Monroe.

Under current state law, towns are not eligible for state aid to defray special education costs until they are spending five times the school district’s average per pupil expenditure on special education students. Under the bill proposed by Re Shea, towns would have to spend only three times the average per pupil expenditure on special education students to qualify for state aid.

“The cost to towns of providing special education services to students is becoming more expensive every year,” Rep Shea said. “The annual budget for the Town of Monroe has to be approved in a referendum. Special education costs play a major role in increasing the size of local budgets, making them more and more difficult to pass.”

“I introduced this legislation for the first time last year,” Rep Shea said. “Unfortunately the 2000 legislative session was a short one and my bill failed to pass. This year’s session will be a longer one, giving us more time to consider and act on worthwhile legislation like this. It will benefit almost every town in Connecticut and should attract support from both sides of the aisle.”

Special education costs statewide will approach $900 million this school year but the state will pay for only 37 percent of the bill, Rep Shea said.

“Many parents are concerned – and rightly so – about the content of some of the surveys that are routinely administered to schoolchildren every year,” Rep Shea said. “If parents do not want their children to fill out surveys dealing with sexual behavior, drug use, and other sensitive subjects, they should have the right to opt their children out of them. My bill would require that parents give advance written permission before their children can participate in such surveys. It will give parents the authority they need to prevent their children from being exposed to questions that deal with matters that are sensitive and personal.”

To contact Rep Shea, call 800/842-1423.