Arlington Special Education PTA

📢📢Please take a moment TODAY to write to the Arlington County Board and insist they honor their commitment to APS in the county budget!

What’s Happening?
The Arlington County Board will be finalizing and adopting its’ FY 2027 budget in the next week. The County is proposing a real estate tax increase, but not a proportional increase in the amount allotted to APS in accordance with a long standing revenue-sharing agreement between the County and APS. As budgets become ever tighter, it is a serious concern that the County would consider diminishing its ongoing commitment to our schools and a troubling precedent to set. The County Board recently has increased the APS allocation (fee free to thank them) but the percentage still does not reach the number APS needs.

As a PTA for Special Education we know all too well that changes in school funding disproportionately impact our students with disabilities. Take a moment to look at projects that this increased revenue could fund next year under the Superintendent’s Proposed 2027 Budget indicating $18.81-million in unmet needs (starting on page 18https://go.boarddocs.com/vsba/arlington/Board.nsf/files/DRP22M001626/$file/C.%20Final%20Presentation_FY%202027%20Proposed%20Budget%20(Rev.%20022626%201236%20pm).pdf ).

The unmet need amount has decreased recently to around $18-million, thanks to the County Board's increase to APS, but still remains concerning. Consider the direct impact most of those items listed would have on students with disabilities and other underserved populations. Please ask the County Board to not change its commitment to supporting a high quality, inclusive PreK-12 education and honor its revenue sharing agreement.

📆Upcoming Country Board Dates:📆
TODAY, Thurs. April 16th. 2:30pm - County Board Budget Work Session
Sat, April 18th, 9:30am- Monthly County Board meetingWed, April 22nd - Budget Adoption

Please get messages to the County Board by Saturday April 18th. As noted on their website, "no final decisions will be made on any budget topic until the Board adopts the FY 2027 budget in April 2026."

Information on the FY2027 Proposed Budget is available at https://www.arlingtonva.us/Government/Programs/Budget-Finance/FY-2027-Budget-Information

📨County Board Emails📨
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]

FY 2027 Budget Information Arlington’s annual operating budget outlines spending on County programs, services and administration for the coming fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2026.

Upcoming local events list from NOVA IDD. Find more and get regular event updates at https://novaspecialneedscommunity.com

Special Education Webinar Series - New Year Kickoff to Collaboration! 🎇

Start 2026 with clarity and connection.

Our quarterly SPED Series is designed to help families understand special education processes, rights, and tools that help students in preparing them for further education, employment, and independent living. Join us as we dive into this quarter’s topics and build stronger partnerships for student success.

REGISTER HERE! - https://tinyurl.com/j97azhc5

Sessions:
👉 January 14: From Referral to Eligibility
Learn how the process begins and what to expect every step of the way.

👉 January 28: Anatomy of an IEP
Break down each section of the IEP so you know what matters most.

👉 February 11: Measurable IEP Goals
Understand about developing meaningful goals and why they’re essential to progress.

👉 February 25: The Ins and Outs of IEP Meetings
Get strategies for effective communication and collaboration at the table.

👉 March 11: Dispute Resolution Options in Virginia
Explore your rights and the tools available when disagreements arise.

Each workshop will start at 6:30 p.m. EST and will last approximately 1 to 1.5 hours. These sessions will not be recorded.

is one week away! Be part of the global movement of radical generosity.
Donate to Arlington SEPTA to support the Mini-Grants program! Whether your donation goes to replenishing an empty classroom sensory bin, updating a speech therapist's set of well worn flashcards, or funding gift cards that students can use for real world life skills, every dollar helps educators meet different learners where they are and give them tools to go further with their education.

See Where the Ed. Dept.'s Programs Will Move as the Trump Admin. Downsizes Programs overseen by the Ed. Dept. will move to agencies including the Department of Labor.

A Small Change in Special Ed. Rules Could Affect Equity, Accountability, Advocates Warn The paperwork change could make it harder to track equity in special education, advocates said.