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Back to School 2011!

The beginning of the school year is just around the corner. We're interested to hear from you as to what changes your schools have had to make due to the severe budget cuts most districts suffered. Are the class sizes bigger? Did art class get cut? Are there fewer aides in the classrooms? What are you noticing?

The Education Law Center wants to remind you that budgets may have changed, but your legal rights have not. Here is a resource we hope you will find helpful. It's the Education Law Center's Back to School Fact Sheet with some basics on your legal rights and lots of links to detailed publications on various education issues (school enrollment, school discipline, etc.).

Tags: Pennsylvania, budget, education, law, publication, rights

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Werner Whitsel on August 27, 2011 at 3:35pm

Our school district cut an entire bus route which makes the bus route for my children 90 mins in the morning and 90 mins in the evening. I am so frustrated about this. Class sizes are about the same this year, they are proposing closing a grade school so next year the class sizes where my kids will go should double. This is such a sad thing.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Schaeffer on August 29, 2011 at 3:13pm

Wow. A 90-minute bus ride is challenging, Jessica.

Have you heard from anyone else in other districts about similar busing cuts?

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Werner Whitsel on August 29, 2011 at 3:21pm

I have not heard from anybody in other districts. I am trying to find out if there are any laws/standards, etc for this matter. I have tried calling the PA Dept of Ed but not getting answers there. My kids are on the bus and in school for more then 10 hours a day.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Schaeffer on August 29, 2011 at 4:33pm

Hi, Jessica.

Here's an FAQ from PDE on transportation issues:

http://pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/pupil_transportation/7516/...

And I've attached one of our fact sheets on transportation issues.

You'll see on both that here are no time limits set by law or regulation.

Since most transportation issues are handled at the local level, you may want to talk to your local school board.

Attachments:

oth-transportation to and from school 9-08.pdf, 86 KB

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Werner Whitsel on August 29, 2011 at 6:55pm

Oh believe me our school board has heard from a group of us. They don't care, they won't return phone calls and when they do talk to us they misquote information and are very rude. I am very frustrated.

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Permalink Reply by Jessica Werner Whitsel on August 29, 2011 at 6:56pm

Thanks for the info!!!

Brett Schaeffer said:

Hi, Jessica.

Here's an FAQ from PDE on transportation issues:

http://pa.gov/portal/server.pt/community/pupil_transportation/7516/...

And I've attached one of our fact sheets on transportation issues.

You'll see on both that here are no time limits set by law or regulation.

Since most transportation issues are handled at the local level, you may want to talk to your local school board.

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Permalink Reply by Carol Hammer on August 30, 2011 at 9:24am

I have heard our school district has reduced greatly the amount of personal aides, and my daughter's part-time aide is being split among three students. They are trying to tell me that an administrative decision was made over the summer that perhaps she was so much more independent now, that she wouldn't require those services as much. We are having a meeting very very soon to deal with this. It's not fair to my kid, not fair to the other kids involved, or to the aide being pulled in three directions. I don't see this as sustainable.

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Permalink Reply by Brett Schaeffer on August 30, 2011 at 10:50am

Hi, Carol.

Thanks for joining PA School Talk, and for posting your comment.

I'm going to repost Deborah's link to our Back-to-School Guide: http://www.elc-pa.org/backtoschool2011.html

If you haven't already, take a look at the Guide and some of the related fact sheets listed in it.

They'll have some more information on your particular situation.

Best,

Brett S.

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Permalink Reply by Carol Hammer on August 30, 2011 at 10:57am

Oh thanks, but yes I have seen it and I plan to make that known tomorrow when I meet with them. Still I wanted to put the word out there as to what was up. Hoping to save some other parents the grief, and if at all possible to get some support as well. That's where I found the link to PA School Talk :)

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Permalink Reply by Brett Schaeffer on August 30, 2011 at 11:38am

Excellent!

Thanks, Carol.

Let us know how it goes.

-Brett

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Permalink Reply by Carol Hammer on September 3, 2011 at 12:53pm

Just wanted to update, we did have our meeting and our aide problem has been resolved. There was no question as to the legality, they were aware. I didn't really have to push, which was a relief. Thanks all!