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Lawmakers Hear Push for District‑level Transparency on Special Education Costs and Placements
Summary
A bill that would require superintendents to publish detailed, non‑identifying special‑education statistics on district websites drew strong support from taxpayers and parents and sharp opposition from disability advocates and school boards concerned about student privacy and unintended harm.
House Bill 388 would require each superintendent to produce a public report on special‑education statistics — including counts of students with IEPs and 504 plans, staffing, program costs, out‑of‑district placements, transportation and dispute‑resolution counts — and post it on the district website. Representative Susan Porcelli, the bill sponsor, told the committee the data already exist in state and federal reporting and that the bill’s aim is transparency about mounting special‑education costs.
"These federal mandates are very expensive to administer," Porcelli said, arguing that public officials and taxpayers need accessible information as special‑education spending grows. Supporters from the public said posting uniform and readable data would help budget deliberations and public understanding. Aubrey Freeman and other citizens testified that…
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