Several bills moving through the Oregon Legislature this week aim to offer better support for students with disabilities in Oregon.
One bill, Senate Bill 575, would create a statewide education plan for students who receive special education services. The proposal is similar to legislation that created statewide plans for Indigenous students, Black students, Latinx students, and students who identify as LGBTQ+. It鈥檚 on the docket for a work session on Thursday.
Another bill, Senate Bill 758, would require school districts to respond to parents of children with disabilities in a more timely way and allow school employees to speak up about policy violations related to special education. The Senate education committee moved that bill onto the Senate floor on Tuesday, with a recommendation to pass it.
Both bills signal more support for students who receive special education services and their families at a time when students and staff have struggled more than usual. Distance learning and the rocky return to in-person school have presented special challenges for everyone involved in special education. Some students or , while to .
In addition to other bills moving through the Legislature, these two special education-specific bills call for stronger enforcement and accountability from the Oregon Department of Education.
鈥淲hen we look at students with disabilities, I think that we are starting to see that there are some areas that have to be focused on, things that were exacerbated through the pandemic, and that have come to light in trying to solve some of those issues,鈥� said Christy Reese, executive director of FACT Oregon, a nonprofit serving people with disabilities and their families.
One bill includes a pay increase for staff who work with students with disabilities, a sign of the difficult time schools have had filling critical positions. Another bill would require access to student records for any staff member working directly with that student, including classified employees like paraeducators.
Senate Bill 819A ensures to a full school day for all students. It passed the Senate earlier this month and currently remains in the House Education committee with no meetings scheduled. A workgroup has been privately meeting to discuss the bill.
But the bill is not moving fast enough for Sen. Sara Gelser Blouin, a chief sponsor of the bill. The effective date in the proposed legislation was listed as March 27, 2023 鈥� this past Monday. She said she鈥檚 鈥渇rustrated鈥� that students who haven鈥檛 had access to school may not be back this year.
鈥淸Senate Bill] 819, at its core, is about letting kids go to kindergarten and first grade and second grade in 2023,鈥� Gelser Blouin said. 鈥淎nd it should not be an uphill battle.鈥�
A report found 986 Oregon students were on an abbreviated school day in the 2019-2020 school year. That report is part of an against the Oregon Department of Education for failing to give some students a full day at school.
Senate Bill 819A has faced pushback from statewide organizations overseeing school boards and school administrators.
In opposing SB819A and other special education-related legislation, the Oregon School Boards Association called the bills 鈥渋ncredibly challenging鈥� for school districts, saying 鈥渟ome parts of the bills would fundamentally move rights [to the state] and could put Oregon out of sync with federal special education law,鈥� or lead to more state control over school districts.
Association officials are part of the workgroup of about 30 鈥渆ducation advocates鈥� meeting to discuss the bill. They say the workgroup is meeting on Thursday to figure out how they can find solutions to make the bill work.
Officials from the Coalition of School Administrators declined to speak about the bill this week, citing ongoing discussions that are 鈥渟ensitive in nature.鈥�
Other bills face overwhelming support from school administrators and parents alike. House Bill 2895 would remove a cap on the State School Fund, the main funding source for Oregon school districts, for money directed toward students with disabilities. says funding for students with disabilities 鈥渕ay not exceed 11% of a district鈥檚鈥� enrollment.
In Portland Public Schools, Oregon鈥檚 largest school district, 15.6% of students receive special education services.
Administrators and teachers in the district called for the cap to be removed in order to serve more students.
鈥淭he 11% cap on state funding for special education services is something few other states do, and it feeds inequitable outcomes for both students and districts,鈥� shared PPS Chief of Student Support Services Jey Buno in . 鈥淚t leaves all of us 鈥� but especially smaller districts 鈥� with an impossible choice: meet all students鈥� needs with the funds you have, or arbitrarily prioritize a subset of students.鈥�
Portland Association of Teachers president Angela Bonilla agreed, pointing out that even Oregon鈥檚 statewide percentage of students receiving special education services 鈥� 14% 鈥� is higher than 11%.
鈥淩ight now, the state school fund only provides additional funding up to 11% of the student population. This causes a disparity which hinders our ability to provide the services our students need,鈥� Bonilla said .
Parents, mostly from the Portland metro area, also shared their stories in support of the legislation.
Portland parent Noelle Studer-Spevak long wait times and high costs for disability testing. She attributed her family鈥檚 challenges to a lack of consistent access to services between public schools.
That bill passed out of the House education committee on Wednesday.
Come next year, Reese with FACT Oregon hopes that students with disabilities in Oregon will be better off in their schools, that they may get to go to school for more than and that schools may have more resources or staff available to serve them.
鈥淚 hope that we come out with a solid path forward for all students in the state,鈥� Reese said. 鈥淭hat may sound very grandiose, and I hope that all of the work in this session really elevates the need for increasing outcomes for all of our students, even those who are most marginalized, which includes students with disabilities.鈥�
Copyright 2023 Oregon Public Broadcasting. To see more, visit .