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Parents and specialized schools urge increase to John Peterson special‑needs and autism scholarships
Summary
Leaders from Marburn Academy, Bridgeway Academy, New Story Schools and parents urged the Senate committee to boost John Peterson Special Needs and autism scholarship amounts to better cover private special‑education tuition and retain specialized staff.
Representatives of private special‑education schools, parents and students told the Senate Education Committee they need larger state scholarship awards to cover the rising cost of specialized programs for students with learning disabilities, autism and related needs.
“We are seeking a John Peterson special needs scholarship increase in this biennium,” Eldridge Carr, head of school at Marburn Academy, said. He described scholarship categories that range from roughly $9,500 up to about $32,000 under existing law and urged higher rates to match actual program costs.
Parents and students testified about the effect the scholarships have on access. Holly Denson, a parent, described her son Elijah’s experience at Marburn: “Being accepted into Marburn because of the John Peterson special needs scholarship is life changing,” she said. Elijah, a student, told senators that individualized instruction and smaller classes let him complete homework faster and consider careers in engineering and other fields.
Bridgeway Academy and New Story Schools also requested larger scholarship amounts, noting tuition for intensive behavioral and therapeutic programs often exceeds the current scholarship levels. Bridgeway’s testimony said its per‑student cost averages more than $50,000 and cited family out‑of‑pocket expenses ranging from a few thousand to over $23,000 depending on the student’s needs.
Advocates asked the committee to adopt an amendment that would raise scholarship awards — several witnesses proposed specific increases (for example, to $36,000 in fiscal 2026 and $37,000 in fiscal 2027) — and to include annual cost‑of‑living adjustments to prevent recurring funding gaps. Witnesses also highlighted long wait lists at specialized schools and recruitment and retention difficulties for specialized staff.
Committee members did not act on the requests during the hearing. Witnesses invited senators to visit their campuses and observe classroom practice and services currently funded in part by the scholarship program.
