A comparison of special education funding, services, and superintendents' perceptions in selected school districts in central Pennsylvania

This study examined changes in special education programs along with superintendents' perceptions to the funding changes in Pennsylvania. In particular, this study focused on the actual special education expenditures and subsidy available to school districts in selected school districts during the school years of 1991 through 1995. Funding was changed from an excess cost formula in place through 1990, to a fee factor based on the average daily membership of the school district with the implementation of Act 25 of 1991. Superintendents' perceptions of special education funding were analyzed concerning the adequacy of the funding, changes in program operation as a result of these changes, and differences in student costs between special and regular education.;Data were collected from the Pennsylvania Department of Education, Bureau of Education Fiscal Administration and the Bureau of Special Education. Analysis included a review of the ratio of special education to regular education student costs, differences in these costs according to wealth of the district as determined by the Aid Ratio, and special education enrollment in the selected districts. A survey instrument was used to gather the superintendents' perceptions relative to the appropriateness of the funding and changes in program operation.;Over this five year period, there was a decrease in the percentage of special education subsidy provided to meet expenditures. The ratio of special to regular education costs and decrease in the available special education subsidy to cover expenditures was more pronounced in districts with less wealth as determined by the Aid Ratio. Any equity concerns became exacerbated in the delivery of special education because of the increased costs of services to this population which school district administrators cannot control due to the entitlement to services as determined by the Individual Education Program (IEP) Team.