Mount Union

Act 55 of 2022-Student Enrollment for Special Education 2022-2023

Dear Parents/Guardians,
 
On July 8, Governor Tom Wolf signed Act 55 of 2022 (Act 55) into law.

Act 55 permits a student with a disability who was enrolled during the 2021-22 school year and turned age 21 during the 2021-22 school year, or between the end of the 2021-22 and the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, to attend a school entity during the 2022-23 school year and receive services as outlined on their most recent Individualized Education Program (IEP) with all the protections under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
  
As required by Act 55, the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) developed and posted online a standard form for parents/guardians and students to notify school entities of their plan for the student to attend  the school entity  for the 2022-23 school year. School entities are encouraged to post the Act 55 Student Enrollment Notification Form on the school entity’s publicly accessible website along with instructions and an email address for parents/guardians and students to submit the form to the school entity.
 
Parents/guardians and students who wish to take advantage of Act 55 must complete, sign, and submit the Act 55 of 2022 Student Enrollment Notification Form to the student’s school entity on or before August 1, 2022.
 
For a student with a disability who turned 21 during the time periods listed above, both the parent/guardian and the student must complete the form. Forms are to be submitted to the school entity in which the student will attend in the 2022-23 school year - they may not be submitted to PDE.
 
Guidance and answers to FAQs on Act 55 of 2022 is now available on PDE’s website. Please note, the form will be made available on PDE’s website beginning Monday, July 11, 2022.

Thank you, Dr. Dianne Thomas

Annual Parent/Family Survey Notice
2021-2022 School Year

Each year the Mount Union Area School District conducts a survey collecting the perspectives of parents and families about the needs of our schools. The Federal Government allows school funds to be used to meet these identified needs. We value your input and would appreciate your feedback on two of our federal programs known as Title IIA and Title IV. Descriptions and links to the two surveys are found below.

Title IIA

Title II, Part A of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) of 2015, is intended to increase student achievement with PA Academic Standards. These funds are designed to improve the quality and effectiveness of educators and ensure all students have access to quality educators. Your feedback will help the District to design its Professional Learning Plan for the upcoming school year.

Link to Survey: Title IIA Survey

Title IV

The federal government has graciously given school districts additional funding under Title IV which promotes student support and academic enrichment. Specifically, the funds must be used in one or more of three categories. The federal government, supported by current research, reveals that these three areas are strongly related to the success of our students in today’s ever-changing world:

Well-rounded Education
Safe & Healthy Schools
Effective Use of Technology

Link to Survey: Title IV Survey

Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) Program Changes

Changes Coming to Federal EBB Program

As part of the new Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, Congress created a new, long-term program called the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to provide Internet and connected device subsidies to low-income households.  ACP will replace the previous, short-term Emergency Broadband Benefit Program (EBB) program that was included in the second COVID-relief bill in 2021.

What's Changing from EBB to ACP?  

• The maximum monthly benefit will be reduced from $50 per month to $30 per month.  Not changing:  eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.

• Households have new ways to qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program such as: receiving WIC benefits or having an income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.  Note:  The NSLP only requires incomes to be 185% or below the federal poverty guidelines, thus the income levels to qualify for ACP are slightly lower than qualifying for NSLP.

• Households that qualified for EBB due to a substantial loss of income due to job loss or furlough since February 29, 2020 or by meeting the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's COVID-19 program will need to requalify for the Affordable Connectivity Program.

When Will ACP Begin?

Applications for the current EBB program are still being accepted at https://www.getemergencybroadband.org or consumers can simply reach out to a local Internet Service Provider to enroll.  Enrollment for the EBB Program will end on December 30, 2021 and any consumers enrolled in the EBB Program before 6 p.m. ET on December 30, 2021 will continue to receive their current monthly benefit (up to $50/month) during the 60-day transition period, which ends on March 1, 2022.  After the transition period, the maximum monthly benefit will change from $50 per month to $30 per month for households.  Applications for the new ACP program will be accepted beginning December 31, 2021.  

For general program support, consumers should email [email protected] or call the Emergency Broadband Support Center at 833-511-0311 for assistance