June 6, 2000

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2001-2002 Policy Paper: Special Education Funding

Background:

Both state and federal laws require that local school districts provide special education and related services for children, ages 3 through 21, with exceptional educational needs. The state reimburses a portion of the costs for educating and transporting pupils enrolled in special education programs.

The 1999-2001 budget repealed a Wisconsin law mandating that the state reimburse local school districts for 63% of the cost to educate children in special education. Although this statutory requirement existed, the state had not met that commitment for nearly a decade.

Legislative History:

WEAC helped form a Special Education Funding Coalition made up of educators, administrators, school board officials and parents. The coalition fought for and won an additional $46.7 million in new funds for special education. This will provide enough in categorical aids to maintain a state reimbursement rate of approximately 34% for local special education costs.

This same coalition supports the reestablishment of the 63% reimbursement rate for local special education costs. The group also called for the creation of a Legislative Council Study Committee to review special education funding issues.

WEAC Position:

The Wisconsin Education Association Council believes that the state must act now to fund its share of special education programs. The state should fund special education categorical aid at the 63% level and become a partner with local school districts in funding special education. The Wisconsin Education Association Council also supports allowing school districts to raise funds outside the revenue caps to pay their share of costs for special education.

Talking Points:

• Wisconsin school districts are being forced to choose between special education and regular education programs because of the state’s failure to keep its commitment to fund special education. These painful choices harm all students.
• Rising costs in special education are beyond the control of school districts. According to the Department of Public Instruction, the total number of children in need of specialized education increased 14.7% between 1993 and 1997.
• The alarming trend of reduced funding has only been made worse by revenue caps. Aids received for special education fall outside the revenue caps. When the state reduces these aids, it forces school districts to allocate dollars from general education programs that fall under the revenue caps to fund mandated special education programs.
• WEAC helped form the Special Education Coalition. This group represents a broad cross-section of people in Wisconsin -- parents, students, teachers, school administrators and school board members -- closely involved with implementing or working through the state's special education laws. This unique coalition fought hard for the $47 million increase in special education funding in the biennial budget.
• While the $47 million increase in special education funding in the 1999-2001 biennial budget came as welcome relief to school districts, they are still caught in a fiscal bind with only 34 percent of costs reimbursed by the state. Furthermore, the federal government in 1997-98 reimbursed Wisconsin for less than 5 percent of special education costs, even though it committed to reimbursing states for 40 percent of costs.

For Additional Information:

Contact Bob Burke in the WEAC Government Relations Division at 800-362- 8034 ext. 254 or by e-mail at burkeb@weac.org with any reactions, comments or questions.

• Return to Legislative Agenda index

Posted June 6, 2000