Special Education Funding Shortfall is Hurting All Schoolchildren, Legislative Committee is Told

By Joanne M. Haas
Dwindling state and federal support of special education programs is hurting children in both special education and regular education programs, a legislative committee was told Wednesday (November 28, 2001).

"Both the state and federal governments have a legal and moral obligation" to adequately fund these important programs, Joe Quick, spokesman for the Madison Metropolitan School District, told the Senate Education Committee at a Capitol public hearing on Senate Bill 280. "And until they do, school districts will be in fiscal crisis."

Quick was among the 13 who testified or registered in support of the bipartisan bill, which would allow school districts to exceed revenue limits to cover some special education costs. No one testified nor registered in opposition to the bill, which was introduced this fall by two Racine legislators, Democrat Sen. Kim Plache and Republican Rep. Bonnie Ladwig. The committee took no immediate action on the bill, but Sen. Richard Grobschmidt, chair of the committee, said a vote would likely be taken in December.

At issue is the fact that state and federal governments require school districts to provide expensive special education programs but provide only about 30% of the funding needed to operate them. At the same time, the state government has imposed revenue limits on school districts, making it difficult for school districts to meet the rising costs of special education programs. Districts therefore are being forced to take money out of regular education programs and services to fund special education.

"Of course, this hurts all students, including those with disabilities, as all students have access to those regular education programs, which are regularly put on the chopping block - such as music, art and sports programs," said Jeffrey Spitzer-Resnick, managing attorney for Wisconsin Coalition for Advocacy. "Worse yet, this robbing-Peter-to-pay-Paul system created by the state Legislature, engenders hostility between parents of regular and special education students, and between regular and special educators."

Senate Bill 280 would ease that problem by allowing school districts to raise more money from property taxes to fund special education programs. Specifically, the bill would allow a school district to exceed revenue limits just enough to cover the difference between the amount of categorical aid it receives from the state and the amount it is deemed eligible to receive under the special education funding formula.

Katie Schultz Stout, WEAC's director of teaching and learning, said a recent WEAC survey found that districts are making more cuts in critical regular education areas to free up money for special education. "It is clear ... regular education programming is being cut back," Stout said, adding without government relief "districts are going to have to continue those cuts."

Stout emphasized WEAC values both regular and special education programs and supports adequate resources for the quality education of all students, regardless of their individual learning needs.

"It is troubling to make it look like these (special education) kids are the big problem. It puts these kids and their families in a bad position that they don't deserve to be in," Wisconsin Association of School Boards lobbyist Annette Talis said.

Talis said a recent survey sponsored by WASB found the public supports special education and sees it as a valuable use of public funds. "We were heartened by that," Talis said.

Mike Rundle, a Janesville School Board member, told the committee he would not have a problem voting to raise property taxes to provide a proper education for all children. So far, Rundle said, the Janesville district has been frugal and able to budget to maintain programs. But, he said, the district is looking at cutting $1 million next year - "and that will involve programs and personnel."

Jeanine Allen, the director of student services for the Janesville district, said as of May 2001, there were 1,691 students enrolled in special education programs. That was nearly 16% of the total enrollment of 10,658.

"We have 66 kids in our district who cost between $25,000 and $60,000 per year to cover their needs," Allen said, adding Janesville is no different from any other district when it comes to being forced to cut from regular programs to meet special needs costs.

Like Janesville, Madison deals with a number of high-cost students. Last school year, Madison had 191 high-cost students at an average $39,700 per student per year for a total annual cost of $7.6 million.

Quick said Madison's special education enrollment is increasing especially fast because of the district's reputation for providing high-quality services. But, in order to hire the necessary staff, the district has had to make cuts in programs such as 4-year-old kindergarten and workshops for teachers.

Tom Beebe, outreach specialist with the Institute for Wisconsin's Future, said the growing gap between what the state has pledged to pay for special education and what it pays is "driving a lot of districts to the brink of bankruptcy."

"And anything that would help districts get out of that" would be helpful, Beebe said in expressing his support for SB 280.

Beebe said the burden of providing the quality, high-cost special needs programs for even one student can push a smaller rural district into a harmful situation of program cuts affecting many children. "You end up hurting both groups of kids," he said.

And there are those districts, others said, that deal with the problem by simply not providing the special education services.

"We hear about it so often," said Spitzer-Resnick, whose Madison-based advocacy group works statewide with families concerned their children's special education programs are not being fulfilled.

Bill would ease special education woes

Posted December 3, 2001