Free Daily Headlines :

  • COVID-19
  • Vaccine Info
  • Money
  • Politics
  • Education
  • Health
  • Justice
  • More
    • Environment
    • Economic Development
    • Gaming
    • Investigations
    • Social Services
    • TRANSPORTATION
  • Opinion
    • CT Viewpoints
    • CT Artpoints
DONATE
Reflecting Connecticut’s Reality.
    COVID-19
    Vaccine Info
    Money
    Politics
    Education
    Health
    Justice
    More
    Environment
    Economic Development
    Gaming
    Investigations
    Social Services
    TRANSPORTATION
    Opinion
    CT Viewpoints
    CT Artpoints

LET�S GET SOCIAL

Show your love for great stories and out standing journalism

With budgets tight, some districts chafe at special ed spending

  • by Jacqueline Rabe Thomas
  • July 5, 2011
  • View as "Clean Read" "Exit Clean Read"

Facing a major cut in funding for the schools in Bristol, Superintendent Philip Streifer has cut electives, scaled back four-hour kindergarten to two hours, pruned athletics and cut other costs everywhere he can.

But his hands are tied to reducing costs to the fastest growing section of his budget — special education. Twenty percent of Bristol’s budget was dedicated to special education four school years ago. It is now at 26 percent.

special chart

“We knew we couldn’t cut special education. It can’t even be on the table for discussion. That’s the bottom line,” Streifer said, holding up the list of cuts he made to close a $5 million budget hole, which is almost 5 percent of his budget. “You are seeing a squeeze on regular education services.”

And Bristol is not alone in having to cut general education programs that serve many more students to pay for the state and federal-mandated special education services.

“It costs twice as much to educate a special education child than everyone else,” said Joe Cirasuolo, director of the Connecticut Association of Public School Superintendents. “This is a real problem every district is faced with.”

But at a time when many interests are competing for scarce resources, special education should not be targeted says Nancy Prescott, the executive director of the Connecticut Parent Advocacy Center.

“Special education has always been used as the whipping boy when budgets are tight,” she said. “It’s unfair if you say this cost will lead to one program or another being cut.”

Prescott, who helps about 5,000 parents of children with special education needs get the appropriate services each year, said the cost of special education isn’t unreasonable. “These children require more specialized services. Of course it makes sense that it’s more expensive.”

The proportion of students in special education programs in Connecticut has declined slightly over the last decade, with about 64,000 students, or 12 percent, receiving special education. Meanwhile, spending for special education has increased by $700 million–a 74 percent jump–in the last 10 school years while other education costs increased by just 45 percent, reports the State Department of Education.

“Special education is getting pretty expensive,” said Jeff Forman, the director of special education for Windham Public Schools and the president of the Connecticut Council of Administrators of Special Education. “That is a huge portion of anyone’s budget.”

Statewide, one out of every five dollars spent on education goes to pay for special education, according to the SDOE.

Required spending

While districts can cut most portions of their budget, federal rules require states and local districts to spend the same amount of special education from year to year, or risk losing federal money.

The U.S. Department of Education will issue a one-time waiver for districts to cut their special education spending, but only when a state has experienced “exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances.”

Connecticut received $136.6 million in federal funding for the current fiscal year and is not one of the seven states that have applied for a waiver, according to the U.S. DOE.

streifer

Bristol Superintendent Philip Streifer: ‘These costs are real and they are burdensome’

Prescott said the federal law is essential to ensure this vulnerable population gets necessary services.

“The school district is not allowed to make costs a factor,” Prescott said. “It’s about what does the child need.”

Cirasuolo agrees the law is well intentioned, but calls it an underfunded mandate. Federal money pays for about 9 percent of of total special education spending each year and state funding another 9 percent.

“That amount of funding is not making a dent in our actual costs,” he said. Cirasuolo.”This is mandate they are not paying for.”

Nationwide, 40 percent of all new education spending between 1996 and 2005 went to cover special education, according to a report from The Thomas B. Fordham Institute, a conservative think tank for education issues located in Washington D.C.

Determining how Connecticut ranks in spending on special education has proven difficult as there is no standard reporting requirement. The Fordham Institute estimates Connecticut is well above average in special education costs, but admits its numbers are “speculative.”

Anne Louise Thompson, the special education chief at the SDOE, said districts may not have the ability to cut their costs, but they do still have the ability to prevent their costs from continuing to increase so substantially.

“I think technology is going to control some of the costs,” she said as one possibility.

Cost-drivers

Bristol Public Schools has tried to rein in their costs on special education by sending fewer students out-of-district. They even opened up a program at one of their schools for certain types of special education students that offers more specialized services. But Streifer said that barely made a dent.

“These costs are real and they are burdensome,” Streifer said, who is also the leader of the Connecticut Association of Urban School Superintendents.

Bristol spent $6 million last school year sending 95 students to other schools.

“We took that out of other regular education spending. That is not uncommon,” he said.

Statewide almost 4,500 children with special education needs are sent out-of-district, reports the SDOE. Forman said it costs districts an average of $60,000 a student.

“It’s like doing work on your own house, of course it’s cheaper if you do it yourself,” said Forman, whose district spends $3 million sending 65 students elsewhere.

But Forman said having the special education teachers for these students has been a challenge, as they have not been spared in the teacher layoffs facing many districts across the state.

“The ironic thing is now [districts] have to pay for more expensive places,” he said.

“You really are at the mercy of those that provide those services. They get to name their price,” said Cirasuolo.

For small districts like Ashford with 500 students, one or two students with significant special needs can really put a sizable dent in a districts budget.

Three school years ago, one-third of the district’s budget went to cover special education, and then four special education students graduated.

“It made a huge difference on our budget,” said James Longo, Ashford’s superintendent, whose district now spends just 15 percent on special education. “We didn’t see those costs as unfair. We give the kids what they need. We don’t try to stop it.”

Prescott said she can’t help but be disturbed by the common perception that the high special education costs are resulting in substandard education for everyone else.

“Everyone deserves a fair education,” she said.

Streifer agrees everyone deserves an “appropriate” education, but said state and federal law has resulted in districts folding and giving parents of special education children in many cases whatever they want.

“I don’t hear parents asking for anything other than a quality education,” responded Prescott.

When a parent challenges the educational services for their special needs student, Connecticut is one of the few states that requires the district prove the child is receiving an appropriate education. In almost every other state, the burden of proof lies on the parents to prove the education is not sufficient.

“Districts began to say, ‘Wow, that would cost us a lot of money. We’ll just settle and give them what they want,'” said longtime Department of Education spokesman Tom Murphy.

“I think there always will be a dispute between parents and districts for what is appropriate,” said Thompson. “There’s no unilateral definition about what’s appropriate… It’s not that everyone doesn’t want the best [education], the question is whether [the students] are receiving an appropriate education.”

“It can get messy,” agreed Prescott, noting Connecticut has a reputation of being a high litigation state for special education parents. “That’s the $64,000 question: What is appropriate for these children?”

Sign up for CT Mirror's free daily news summary.

Free to Read. Not Free to Produce.

The Connecticut Mirror is a nonprofit newsroom. 90% of our revenue comes from people like you. If you value our reporting please consider making a donation. You'll enjoy reading CT Mirror even more knowing you helped make it happen.

YES, I'LL DONATE TODAY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jacqueline Rabe Thomas

SEE WHAT READERS SAID

RELATED STORIES
Education is the cornerstone of democracy
by John J. Petillo

The events of January 6 represent an inflection point for our democracy and, in truth, for our concept of civil society. Much has already been written about the political and cultural tides that swept our nation toward these events —and a real understanding of their significance will not be possible for some time, in part because the reactions and responses to these events are still unfolding as I write.

A rebuttal to ‘A call to save arms’
by Tyler David Gavitt

A response to "A call to save arms: is vaccination really the solution?" published January 25: The aforementioned article, written by Genevieve Diamant, stands to do potentially significant damage to the efforts by the citizens and government of the State of Connecticut to bring under control the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Holocaust, history and today’s politics
by Avinoam Patt and Laura Hilton

On January 6 the world watched as domestic terrorists stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC.  The pictures seared into our memories of this day are replete with symbols of hatred, racism, and extremism: The Confederate battle flag, the white power hand gesture, and the gallows erected near the Capitol reflecting pool. What many may not have noticed within this sea of white supremacy was the prominence of anti-Semitic images.

Sticker shock
by Eric W. Kuhn

It would award a modest amount to families making less than $203k in the first year of the program, ramping up to as much as $1,800 in year four. On a sliding scale, the money would also go to families making up to $682,000 a year. Really? That's 8.7 times the median household income in America.

Lamont edges close to deal on sports betting. Just don’t ask for odds.
by Mark Pazniokas

Connecticut is close to a deal with the tribes over rights to sports betting.

Support Our Work

Show your love for great stories and outstanding journalism.

$
Select One
  • Monthly
  • Yearly
  • Once
Artpoint painter
CT ViewpointsCT Artpoints
Opinion Education is the cornerstone of democracy
by John J. Petillo

The events of January 6 represent an inflection point for our democracy and, in truth, for our concept of civil society. Much has already been written about the political and cultural tides that swept our nation toward these events —and a real understanding of their significance will not be possible for some time, in part because the reactions and responses to these events are still unfolding as I write.

Opinion A rebuttal to ‘A call to save arms’
by Tyler David Gavitt

A response to "A call to save arms: is vaccination really the solution?" published January 25: The aforementioned article, written by Genevieve Diamant, stands to do potentially significant damage to the efforts by the citizens and government of the State of Connecticut to bring under control the COVID-19 pandemic.

Opinion The Holocaust, history and today’s politics
by Avinoam Patt and Laura Hilton

On January 6 the world watched as domestic terrorists stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, DC.  The pictures seared into our memories of this day are replete with symbols of hatred, racism, and extremism: The Confederate battle flag, the white power hand gesture, and the gallows erected near the Capitol reflecting pool. What many may not have noticed within this sea of white supremacy was the prominence of anti-Semitic images.

Opinion Sticker shock
by Eric W. Kuhn

It would award a modest amount to families making less than $203k in the first year of the program, ramping up to as much as $1,800 in year four. On a sliding scale, the money would also go to families making up to $682,000 a year. Really? That's 8.7 times the median household income in America.

Artwork Grand guidance
by Anne:Gogh

In a world of systemic oppression aimed towards those of darker skintones – representation matters. We are more than our equity elusive environments, more than numbers in a prison and much more than victims of societal dispositions. This piece depicts a melanated young man draped in a cape ascending high above multiple forms of oppression. […]

Artwork Shea
by Anthony Valentine

Shea is a story about race and social inequalities that plague America. It is a narrative that prompts the question, “Do you know what it’s like to wake up in new skin?”

Artwork The Declaration of Human Rights
by Andres Chaparro

Through my artwork I strive to create an example of ideas that reflect my desire to raise social consciousness, and cultural awareness. Jazz music is the catalyst to all my work, and plays a major influence in each piece of work.”

Artwork ‘A thing of beauty. Destroy it forever’
by Richard DiCarlo | Derby

During times like these it’s often fun to revisit something familiar and approach things with a different slant. I have been taking some Pop culture and Art masterpieces and applying the vintage 1960’s and 70’s classic figures (Fisher Price, little people) to the make an amusing pieces. Here is my homage to Fisher -Price, Yellow […]

Twitter Feed
A Twitter List by CTMirror

Engage

  • Reflections Tickets & Sponsorships
  • Events
  • Donate
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Submit to Viewpoints
  • Submit to ArtPoints
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Commenting Guidelines
  • Legal Notices
  • Contact Us

About

  • About CT Mirror
  • Announcements
  • Board
  • Staff
  • Sponsors and Funders
  • Donors
  • Friends of CT Mirror
  • History
  • Financial
  • Policies
  • Strategic Plan

Opportunity

  • Advertising and Sponsorship
  • Speaking Engagements
  • Use of Photography
  • Work for Us

Go Deeper

  • Steady Habits Podcast
  • Economic Indicator Dashboard
  • Five Things

The Connecticut News Project, Inc. 1049 Asylum Avenue, Hartford, CT 06105. Phone: 860-218-6380

© Copyright 2021, The Connecticut News Project. All Rights Reserved. Website by Web Publisher PRO