Disability advocates are upset that some Wisconsin school districts want to be able to cut special education spending without losing federal funds.
Disability Rights Wisconsin said they just recently learned of a May letter to Rep. Gwen Moore, D-Wisc., asking for changes to the portion of the federal law requiring districts to keep spending on students with disabilities level from year to year. The clause is intended to buffer special education from the budget cycle and political whims.
"While we acknowledge difficult financial times over the past three years which have made state and local education budgeting decisions particularly tenuous, our state legislature has made deliberate choices in education funding priorities that have put pressure on [districts] to reduce school funding," the group wrote in a letter Thursday. "This should not result in decreased funding at the local level for the provision of a free and appropriate public education for students with disabilities."
Generally, school districts can only cut special education spending if there's an actual decrease in expenses—say, if an experienced, highly paid special education teacher retires or a high-needs student leaves a district. Cutting the special education budget for almost any other reason means a district is running the risk of losing its share of federal funds. Districts have to restore spending to the amount before the cuts to get back in the good graces of the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
Read Nirvi Shah's On Special Education article HERE.
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