Requires superintendents to provide public quarterly reports to school boards on special education statistics within their district.
requiring local school boards to issue public reports on special education in their district.
There are already required procedures in place through IDEA which reporting to the community. This bill jeopardizes privacy of students with disabilities and their families, especially in small, rural communities, where descriptors are enough to identify individuals. Please reject this bill.
I want you to know that only 4% of students on ieps get any meaningful after high school opportunities and that is ebcause they just sit in school and don't learn anything because the schools don't care if they learn or not. They're not able to work and pay taxes like others. Bonnie Dunham's son, who is like 500 years old works a few hours cleaning windows at Wendy's. Since students with disabilities are about 1/5 of students, this is sus and not ok. Students aren't getting jobs that help them be independent.
This information should be public and should be available in the town. he federal government generally considers an n less than 10 to be the guideline for not reporting, however, most districts have more than 10 students on IEPs. Parents should also have the option to make the info public if they choose. Generally, schools do not pay legal fees as their liability bundle covers their legal fees and NHSBA, which has a principal from an education law firm also offers legal advice at no cost. It's also not about the money but there are some districts that have multiple complaints which is not apparent and the NH DOE has not been following up on trends in these districts in a meaningful way. There is also no follow up after a due process complaint either. Several schools for example pay funds to teachers for special education services even if the student is absent, which is not appropriate nor is it required by state or federal law. The student receives no benefit from those payments and doesn't get the services. Public comment on the budget is limited and schools have not always complied with 91-a requests, which they also should do. No one knows where the medicaid to schools funds go either. The question has been asked multiple times with no real answer.
As the parent of a special education student I I oppose this bill.
I oppose this bill because of privacy concerns regarding students with disabilities. There are already reporting mechanisms in place which do protect students privacy.
Poses substantial personal information release problems
Good morning, I work in an educational and counseling setting for people with various disabilities. I have worked with high school students, young adults, and older adults that have diverse backgrounds and experiences. It has become increasingly apparent that it is important for our public schools to remain accountable for the educational services they provide. This is especially important due to the nature of funding for these schools and the potential for mismanagement of these taxpayer funds. I agree that collecting relevant information about the special education programs and the students they serve can help us to ensure that they are receiving adequate support and potentially highlight ways to increase efficient use of funding. Sincerely, Jonathan Belmont
Special Education is a very popular issue at the moment. This bill seeks to solve a problem something that doesn't exist. There are already reporting mechanisms in place which collect the information this bill is seeking that protect confidentiality and privacy concerns for the state's students with disabilities. Looking over the information requested in this bill makes me wonder why there isn't this kind of interest about the statistics around measuring learning progress, complaints with resolution, overall financial statistics for students enrolled in the EFA programs rather than singling out students with IEPs. OPPOSE this bill.
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This bill would pose privacy concerns for students with disabilities. There are already reporting mechanisms which protect the confidentiality and privacy of the students.
This is a privacy issue and imposes more administrative work. If it is about money, it doesn't matter if there is one kid in a district who needs special ed. They deserve to get it. They won't get help in private schools. Do the supporters of this bill think they are disposable and undeserving?
As a former educator, I think it is outrageous that you even have to consider this action! Shame on NH who is clearly trying to ruin public education for the children of this state.
As a mother of two special education students, I fully support HB 388. Navigating the special education process can be challenging and, at times, deeply impactful on students and the community when adequate support is lacking. This bill introduces an opportunity for greater transparency, ensuring that schools and districts are held accountable. Importantly, it explicitly safeguards students' privacy by prohibiting the release of any identifiable information, thereby protecting their rights while fostering a more equitable and supportive educational environment. Thank you, Elizabeth Renzullo
I have serious concerns about student privacy rights being maintained under FERPA if this bill is approved. The school board is generally not privy to individual information about special education needs/services and is not involved with the IEP team decision-making. I cannot see how creating this obligation of school boards advances special education in the state, and it would instead create situations where certain students receiving high levels of services would be blamed for budget crises. In small towns, such as mine, it would be easy for the public to identify which students are receiving particular services, which is a violation of FERPA, and this bill would further stigmatize those students who are getting federally-mandated services to advance their education.
This bill seeks to violate FERPA rights of children with special education needs.
The Council believes that this legislation may have a negative impact on the disability community. This legislation may create an "us vs them" situation within education service which may disproportionally pit families in and not in supported educated against each other with no benefit to either party.
This bill puts parents who are careful in their vaccination decision making who reject one or more doses of vaccines at risk of being declared "neglectful". This bill also puts parents who reject gender ideology to protect their child from harmful transgender drugs and procedures at risk of being declared "neglectful". Please amend the bill to protect parental rights and decisions.
I support HB388, a bill that requires quarterly public reports on special education in our school districts. This legislation is a much-needed step forward in addressing the ongoing challenges that families with children who have disabilities face and in bringing much-needed transparency to the special education process in New Hampshire. For far too long, special education services have been overlooked, and many Granite Staters have been led to believe that the rising costs of special education are the main reason for increasing school budgets. But families of children with disabilities know the truth: the money meant for special education often doesn’t make it to the students. While the costs are often highlighted, the reality is that these resources are frequently misused or not allocated properly. HB388 will help by requiring quarterly reports that show how funds are being used—whether that’s for the number of students with IEPs, their progress, staffing levels, or the financial resources being spent. These reports will give taxpayers, parents, and the entire community a clearer picture of how special education funding is being used and if it’s improving student outcomes. The bill also includes important data on legal (administrative hearings) disputes and due process cases, which highlights the challenges families face when advocating for their children’s rights. This bill is an opportunity to focus on how we can improve the system and make sure that special education dollars are being spent where they’re needed most.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.
Position recorded without written comment.