From the Director’s Desk………..
Funding for regular education is finally at an adequate level and the legislature is to be commended. Funding for special education is not at an adequate level and it’s time to turn our attention to that funding effort. As we look back, we see that the last school year in which the state funded special education at the level required by statute was the 2010-2011 school year. It’s been a downward trend since. More troubling in my mind was the State Board’s decision in July to recommend no increase in funding beyond the $7.5 million increase already established. To give credit where it’s due, they did provide a written comment to accompany the budget recommendation stating if additional money is available, the State Board requests the following considerations be prioritized: 1. fund the law for Special Education (92 percent of excess cost) 2. decrease transportation mileage rate from 2.5 miles to a lower number.
Meanwhile, as you can see in the chart below, we continue to fall even further behind. It’s time to bring attention to the special education funding issue. When did it become okay to shortchange handicapped children?
2008-09 $ 427,753,137 (92.0%)
2009-10 $ 367,540,630 (88.7%) Rec. ARRA–$ 56,517,000
2010-11 $ 389,404,843 (92.0%) Rec. ARRA–$ 54,454,000
2011-12 $ 428,140,397 (88.4%)
2012-13 $ 427,724,000 (82.8%)
2013-14 $ 427,717,000 (80.1%)
2014-15 $ 428,360,566 (80.8%)
2015-16 $ 434,902,949 (80.0%)
2016-17 $ 435,469,632 (79.6%)
2017-18 $ 445,981,646 (78.5%)
2018-19 $ 490,380,818 (81.4%)
2019-20 $ 497,880,818 (78.2%)
2020-21 $ 505,380,818 (75.3%)
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TMmNwiWDT01f22oKj6QsDTcKnNKdieClfnzJaQA6tUk/edit#