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Senate Unanimously Passes Tutoring Funding Legislation
HARRISBURG -- The
state Senate today unanimously approved Senator Noah Wenger’s (R-36) legislation
to give school districts more flexibility in the way they use state funding for
tutoring programs, Wenger announced.
“I am pleased that the Senate
has taken action that will help to increase the tutoring opportunities available
to our students,” Wenger said. “I hope the state House will now also recognize
the importance of this legislation and act quickly to pass Senate Bill 652.”
Under the Public School Code,
the Pennsylvania Accountability Block Grant Program and the Educational
Assistance Program (EAP) provide funding for individual and small group
instruction in subjects assessed by the PSSA and required under the No Child
Left Behind Act. However, school districts may only use this funding for
tutoring that occurs outside of the regular school hours.
“We know that tutoring programs
can help students make significant learning gains,” Wenger said.
“Unfortunately, many students, because of scheduling and transportation issues,
are unable to take advantage of tutoring sessions held outside the classroom.”
Wenger said that the bill is
intended to provide more options to districts struggling with educational
achievement by allowing them to use Block Grant and EAP funding for tutoring
programs held during the school day. “It is my hope that my legislation will
allow schools with tutoring programs to provide more meaningful assistance,”
Wenger added. “Also, schools that are not offering tutoring services may wish
to do so when they are able to work with students during the day.”
“When I visited with school
officials and students of the Columbia Borough School District last month, I was
able to see firsthand the good things that tutoring funding can do,” Wenger
said. “However, I believe we can do even better things, and everyone I talked
to believes that my legislation will make a real difference in the lives of
children across Pennsylvania.”
“We want all of our schools to
be able to reach their educational goals and achieve successful outcomes for
their students,” Wenger said.
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