Effects of Revenue Caps on Programs and Services Offered by Wisconsin’s Public Schools — 1998-1999 School Year

Written Responses to the question, "If you marked '1' or '2,' please give one or two specific examples of 'conflicts' or 'disagreements'" (between regular and special education teachers/programs.)

• There is a general attitude of resentment that is surfacing from staff, students and parents, causing a perception of special or preferential treatment because of the "class" and a draining of funds for other programs.
• There is an argument about who should pay for in-service, supplies and students needs. There is also the question of who will provide these services.
• There is a limited amount of money available for new staff. This is causing a big conflict by the administrative team as to where the money should go, to the needed EEN Services or to reduce class size in regular education.
• We are developing creative ways to keep special education costs down. When enrollment decreases in the next few years, we will have problems.
• We have to use general funds for much of our Special Education programs, which allows us to spend less on Non-Special Education students.
• The conflict is more at the Board and Superintendent level. Why 63% of Wisconsin Statute is not funded anywhere near that level (is a concern).
• There is an increase in the number of special education students, which has caused the addition of special education staff, while regular education staff has experienced layoffs and an increase in class size.
• I experience a personal feeling that "I get less because of Special Education."
• The staffing needs for any area other than Special Education are very difficult to address.
• The demand for EEN staff to pull their weight with supervision with a back lash on inclusion efforts.
• Transfer of services need to decrease our level to pay off high cost students that transfer in has caused a negative effect on the regular education budgets.
• Hiring additional special education staff at the expense of regular education additional staffing.
• Limited teachers aides are being taken from regular education and assigned to CWD areas rather than hiring additional CWD aides. Additional SIL teachers are required, using funds which were originally allocated for regular education class size reduction.
• There has been discussion regarding how large the "slice of pie" for special education has become, but so far there has not been any major problems. I could foresee this becoming a problem in the future.
• Often at school board meetings, board members and/or the public will argue about supporting special education.
• There is a concern with the lack of money to promote gifted and other related programs.
• There are limited funds used for special education with increased costs has meant more limits on regular education funding.
• Special education continues to use extra resources for additional staff while regular education staff does not receive these resources.
• The legislature's declining financial support of special education has caused more problems.
• The days of continually adding EEN staff are over. The staff perspective of EEN services being "reimbursed" by the state is harmful. Another source of conflict is the constant request to add on to one aide for EEN kids.
• The cost of programs for high cost students prevents us from purchasing for regular education needs. Special Education students who can not be mainstreamed due to severe handicapping conditions often require many services and specialized equipment.
• Special education programming and budget continues to grow much faster than other areas, thus competing for funds.
• There has been no conflict this year; we did not experience an increase in enrollment.
• Adding extra aide time, more teachers and increase in PT/OT--which all hurts our technology budget and maintenance budget.
• Mainstreaming of pupil and teacher ratios.
• Almost 20% of student population are EEN. With a decrease in categorical aids, there is less money under revenue caps to maintain the current programs.
• To date actual conflicts have not occurred. Our staff has been extremely supportive of the compromise in doing "what is best for kids." However I feel there will come a time when regular education will also demand "what is best for their kids" as well.
• There is a conflict with the gifted and talented programs.
• I cannot say it is a direct face-to face disagreement. What happens seems to be a rising demand for EEN services at earlier ages. Because of revenue limits under declined enrollment, there is little room to expand services.
• Using dollars for special education at the expense of regular education.
• There are very few conflicts.
• Special Education services provided through ________ School.
• The hiring of additional SE assistance meant the reduction of the music staff.
• We have four high cost students. $115,000 was spent to provide services in a total district budget of 7 million. Since we have reduced categorical aid, the funds come from regular education programs such as GT and AP along with the maintenance budget.
• Technology applications such as hardware and software are affected.
• Resources are limited. Special Education is always pushing for more teachers and instructional assistance and hearing interpreters. This pulls funds from general education.
• There is a concern over the total expenditures of Special Education versus Regular Education and corresponding student numbers.
• The EEN Staff requests more assistance, which must be transferred from regular education funds.
• This year we have two students in special out-of-district placement at a cost of about $50,000. The funds come under the cap-- no relief. We have maintained special education staffing levels and reduced G/T and reading resources.
• Diversion of program resources for regular education to special education has created some bitter feelings.
• We are looking for space for an additional kindergarten section. Unable to increase budget to finish other spaces, possibility of use of special education space.
• We are simply competing for similar "pots" of money for paraprofessional support, equipment and supplies. They are also competing for dollars in professional support involving teachers, psychologists, etc.
• Hiring of interpreters and teachers at a cost of about $80,000. One is enough for us at an $80,000 price tag.
• Additional services in home district have caused staffing additions
• Why do EEN teachers receive so much money for supplies?
• We have been very careful not to characterize this as program competition; nonetheless, increased special education enrollment is creating new costs plus declining aid have created a $500,000 cash turn-around since imposition of revenue caps.
• The availability of local resources funds committed for tuition and other services while regular education is cut to ribbons.
• Because funding is always an issue and special education is by law funded first, along with an increase in the number of students, there is a funding tension. It's not all due to revenue caps, but in some districts the revenue caps exaggerate the problem.
• Monies for special education take away from regular education programs.
• Verbal comments regarding the percentage of special education verses regular education.
• A reduction in regular education programs is occurring because of mandated special education services and revenue limits affecting overall budgets. Classroom space available can be in conflict. There are limited funds available for expansion of facilities. New program growth is limited in regular education due to mandated budget priorities.
• It is just a matter of time before conflicts arise. Because of increasing enrollments, we have not faced this conflict, but we will as we begin to follow national enrollment trends.
• The main problem is the continued increase of special education and the decrease in reimbursement; it limits the ability to purchase or upgrade equipment or purchase buses.
• Why do we have to hire special education aides, when we are reducing regular education aides?
• With an increasing student population, dollars are in competition. Where will we spend our revenue? Currently, both regular education and special education are short of space.
• The conflicts we are facing are the high cost of tuition students and the high cost of support staff for EEN students via IEP.
• Regular education teachers feel that special education programs have an open checkbook for resources.
• It causes one to make a decision on other areas of the budget, because you must provide the special education services. We had to hire a C.D. teacher this year with a cost of about $38,000 for 3 students. We have had a decline in enrollment; the money had to be taken from other programs.
• We have limited the number of regular education new hires to accommodate increases in special education hiring.
• The conflicts are just beginning.
• We have three autistic kindergarten students this year who need additional assistance and intervention. I am cutting other areas of our budget to accommodate needs.
• Two areas that have been affected by revenue caps are technology allocation and the distribution of supplies and materials.
• Special education programs are seen as the "haves." Regular education programs and students are seen as the "have-nots." Everything that EEN needs they get. It's not fair.
• Adding staff (aides in particular) to work with each special needs children.
• The Board of Education is concerned that expenses for Special Education are increasing at a faster rate than the rest of the budget and that categorical aids have not kept pace.
• Because of two high cost hearing impaired students (program costs of $126,000), we have reduced our first grade teaching staff from four to three.
• Special Education people seem to have a "money tree." For in-service opportunities special education seems to have the law on their side by saying "we need this for this student or we will be sued." It is very frustrating!
• Special education keeps growing which causes disharmony in staffs.
• Special Education has professional growth dollars available through IDEA. Special Education students receive one-on-one aides, which is very expensive.
• Special education teachers requesting or demanding very expensive services. Special education teachers are claiming budget demands are dictated by IDEA.
• This year was the first year in the last eight that our student population decreased. It had an impact on the budget, fund 10.
• We had one student cost the district about $30,000, who could not attend our school. This was unanticipated and not budgeted.
• Tension is a better word than conflict. Education assistant's time flows to special education and away from regular classrooms. Demand on limited classroom space causes tension.
• New staff additions are needed but not accomplished. The salary increases are minimal and not up to CPI standards.
• All new staff positions but one are for special education. That has caused some hard feelings.
• Regular education teachers feel they are unfairly affected.
• We must hire aides or teachers in special education while we tell others we can not afford new programs to improve our services to children.
• Reallocation of aide time.
• There is a resistance to inclusion and a perception taking from regular education to support special education.
• Capital items purchased have been affected, as well as the ability to attend more in-service/development sessions.
• Regular education teachers have accused special education teachers of receiving more money for supplies, whereas special education teachers accuse regular teachers of removing kids from rooms.
• We are over-spending our budget by due process hearings and other legal fees.
• ________ is now puzzling over how to provide more computer network maintenance assistance. That may cause this year to decide between layoffs or cuts in other parts of the budget.
• Presently the district is supplementing the special education cost from regular education. We will be unable to continue this practice in the year 2000.
• Although not at the stage/level of conflict, some discussions of student programs and available resources have been held.
• In a small school most of the staff works well together. All understand what is required. We use IDEA to its fullest extent, which helps.
• Several students moving into the district cannibalize the district budget.
• Conflict over the amount of aid time in special education compared to regular education. Conflict on special education kids in regular education courses.
• How to distribute instructional budgets between buildings which maintenance projects to complete with limited funds. Special verses regular education.
• Severely disabled students entering the district requires funds normally used for regular education significantly.
• Our district added two EEN aides to provide one-on-one service for two EEN students. We were unable to add a teacher at the high school due to this expense.
• We have experienced a crowding out effect. Special education is in the negative. This has caused extra work for education.
• We have experienced difficulty in hiring of new LD teacher as well as the assignment of aides.
• New IEP procedures giving parents influence has caused more aides to be employed to work with only individual very needy students.
• Special education teachers have a high number of aides and those dollars have come from somewhere. Tried layoff of aides and teachers and aides were unhappy to say the least.
• There is not enough money in the budget to adequately pay for special education mandated programs and regular education needs.
• Regular vs. special education needs causes competition in the educational assignment.
• Limited funds and scarce resources are being spent on special education rather than on regular programs.
• Special education aides, versus reading specialists. Special education was the only FTE increase allowed for the 99-00 school year.
• The high cost students' needs must be met. However, so many things could be done with the resources to benefit all students.
• Revenue caps are not the root cause. Over-identification, over-regulated and the threat of legal action continue to fuel the special education bureaucracy.
• The loss of teachers aides for special education hide in regular education programs. Regular education blames special education for increased workload.
• Hiring of teachers' aides for special education verses remedial teachers.
• The trading of regular educating services to meet the demands of special education. Reducing regular services to meet the demands for new or expanded special education services.
• Delayed K-1 instructional aide employment to provide special education aides.
• We are increasing enrollments but disproportionate {amount} of the additional revenues is used for more special education funding.
• We have debated the cost associated with special education transportation and employment of student specific aides.
• There is an increase in special education class size. We froze special education hiring. We are unable to expand programming because of increasing costs.
• Regular education would like the staffing ratios that EEN has.
• The percentage of special education students has been reduced when possible.
• There is a need for additional staff for special education. An increasing percentage of students staffed EEN. Increased special education program costs takes dollars from the budget that could otherwise support regular education.
• Why do special education children get door-to-door busing when my kids have to walk ten blocks?
• Our Special education population is increasing while our regular education population is decreasing. We are unable to hire additional EEN teachers because our drop in regular education is not remarkable enough to cut grades or sections. We are basically a one class per grade district.
• Special education aides hired when regular education aides are needed has caused some conflict.
• There is a conflict with a district wide teacher/student ratio as well as a co-curriculum program.
• Administration continues to wrestle with this problem during budgeting and have had to make decisions that keep special education costs increasing to a minimum.
• We have one special education student costing $62,000, another costing $28,000 and one at $13,000. These funds are paid to some one else's district at the expense of the regular education students. Textbooks, computers, aides are not being purchased due to the high cost of special education.
• We need more resources to better meet the needs of all students. Resources aren't there to add classrooms, nor staff to promote appropriately.
• Shifting of money from G&T and at risk to special education.

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