During a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on Tuesday, Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) spoke about proposed cuts to programs for students with students with disabilities.
00:00Senator Shaheen. Thank you, Madam Chair. Welcome, Secretary McMahon. Thank you. In your testimony,
00:06you said that your goal is to make education better, fairer, and more accountable. I think
00:11that's something that everyone on this committee could agree with. It's one of the reasons I
00:15support the TRIO programs, and I would like to align myself with the statements of Chair Capito
00:21and Chair Collins. And I can tell you that in New Hampshire, for the 2024 and 2025 school year,
00:28we had 1,468 students who were served by Upward Band, of which 96% graduated from high school
00:37and 87% enrolled in college. 812 college students served, of which nearly 80% graduated with bachelor's
00:45degrees within six years. So I would say if there is a problem with accountability, let's address that,
00:52and I think the TRIO programs keep that information. But let's not throw the baby out with the bathwater,
00:57because this is making a difference for students who otherwise would not be able to graduate from
01:03high school, to get into college, and to have a better future. I've seen it firsthand. Like
01:09Chair Capito, when I worked at the University of New Hampshire, I had an Upward Bound student who
01:15worked with me. She never would have been in college without that program. So I've seen it firsthand.
01:20I know how it works. And I would urge you to reassess whether eliminating those programs is the best way
01:26to help those students have a better future. I also want to ask you about a particular
01:33issue that we're having in the Masscoma Valley School District in New Hampshire. As you know,
01:40schools across New Hampshire and the country have really been challenged by the pandemic,
01:45have been trying to get back to some of the successes that happened before that pandemic.
01:52And the school district, the Masscoma Valley School District, which is in a rural part of New
01:58Hampshire, completed a project to improve ventilation at two elementary schools for the
02:04student safety. It was a real problem with the HVAC system in ensuring that the students could be safe
02:10at school. The school district was approved for late liquidation after facing challenges with finding
02:16contractors to do the work. The school district completed the project with the assurance from the
02:21federal government that the cost would be reimbursed. Unfortunately, in May, the department denied their
02:27reimbursement, even though the school district had followed the rules and had previously received
02:32approval from the department. Secretary McMahon, will you work with me to ensure that rural schools
02:40including the Masscoma Valley School District, which undertook these projects to protect their
02:45students, will receive the funding that they were promised by the department?
02:49Yes, I'd look forward to getting back to you on that particular issue as well, Senator. Thank you.
02:54Well, thank you, Madam Secretary. I know that when you were the administrator at the SBA and we were
02:58closely together, you would have been outraged by that kind of denial when business had been promised
03:04the funding. So I'm I'm sure that you will look into it and hopefully be able to help us.
03:14Educators around the country have been really struggling to ensure that students with disabilities
03:19receive the education they deserve. It's been an ongoing challenge since the Congress passed the
03:25Individuals with Disabilities Act when we promised that we would give a lot more money to school districts
03:32than we have. It supports schools around the country through national activities such as technical
03:38assistance that can help states improve their special education systems. In New Hampshire, with the help of
03:44expert guidance from the National Center for Systemic Improvement, which is funded by IDEA, the Department of
03:51Education conducted a successful, in New Hampshire, conducted a successful initiative to raise literacy rates for students with disabilities.
03:59Unfortunately, the President's budget proposal recommends eliminating this support.
04:05And so I'm I'm not clear on why the Department would eliminate programs that are working in states and force them to develop their own programs when there's already an effort that's been successful. So can you help me understand that?
04:22Well, I'm happy very much for the success in New Hampshire. And I know that there are many of those programs, you know, around the country that are successful. We're not cutting any of the IDEA funding. It is staying intact.
04:37And so the President really has a commitment to make sure that that funding does get into the states. However, there is more flexibility for the states to handle those programs, which they think is better for for their state. So if that program would be working in New Hampshire, I don't see why I wouldn't be able to continue the way it's operating.
04:59Well, as I understand, and I'd like to get back to you on that, that would be helpful, because as I understand the President budget, President's budget would eliminate this successful program that provides help with systemic the National Center for systemic improvement.
05:15Okay, let me get back to you on that. Thank you. Thank you very much.
