This letter was originally published on our Facebook page.
re: Special education. An open letter to state budget writers
Dear Washington State Legislators.
#DropTheCap. Please.
Some of you are recently elected and may not know: For years, Washington legislators have refused to allocate special education funds for all students who qualify.
And yes, the active verb is intentional. The issue has been flagged. Bills have been introduced. And no action ensues. It is a decision by leadership.
Districts with “too many” students with disabilities get less money, per student, to spend. The communities hardest hit? Small, rural schools. This opinion piece explains how it plays out, and calls out federal CDC data on national averages for youths with disabilities in urban and rural areas. (Spoiler: WAY higher than 13.5% in rural areas). https://www.spokesman.com/.../sima-tarzaban-thorpe-and.../
The cap is on funded enrollment. In the 1990s, the state decided no school district should have more than 12.7% of full-time enrolled students getting special education services. A few years ago, legislators increased it to 13.5%
Statewide, today, less than 13% of full-time enrolled students require special education services. So, no problem, right?
WRONG.
That state percentage is made up of LOCAL school districts and charter schools where special education enrollment ranges from 2% of FTE students, to more than 20%. The state’s budget trick leaves more than 4,000 students out of the allocation.
In 2019, a legislator who represents small, rural districts wanted to fix this. The price tag? About $39 million, annually. The bill went nowhere.
When asked, legislators often respond: schools can apply for safety net funding. And this is true. But let’s unpack it.
In 2019, the cap affected 96 school districts/charter schools. Only 8 got assistance through Safety Net “community impact” funds. Total awarded: $2.6 million.
Savings to state for this budget trick? $36.4 million (Source: https://www.k12.wa.us/.../fina.../safetynet/SNetApps1819.pdf)
These schools had to prove there was a reason WHY there would be more than 13.5% of FTE students requiring special education. Like maybe there is a group home nearby for kids with disabilities. Simply having students with disabilities who qualified and needed special education services isn’t enough.
The Safety Net is mostly used for high impact individuals – that is, students who require more expensive supports. In 2019, $76 million in Safety Net funds for 3,308 high impact students were awarded. Which is great … only what about those 4000-plus students who simply live in the wrong place?
And (we have to ask) how much of those excess costs is attributed to removing students from local schools and sending them to “non public agencies.” (It’s a thing.)
Here is the size of districts/charter schools exceeding the cap last spring:
- 82 had fewer than 1,000 students, total enrollment
- 14 had more than 5,000, total enrollment
- Of those 14, just 2 had enrollment over 10,000
- The 20 districts MOST over the cap had an average enrollment of about 210 students.
This isn’t a West of the Mountains suburban issue.
Here is a sampling of how this plays out. Of schools last year:
- Lake Washington had $9,507 to spend, per student requiring special education
- Mercer Island: $9,313
- Bellevue: $9,302
- Spokane (over the cap): $7,990
- Tiny Orient (total 47 students enrolled, also over the cap): $4,349
So, our ask. Look out for those kids who aren't in your legislative districts. Kids tucked into the nooks of our majestic state - on the peninsula, in the far southwest, or far northeast. And in a few hard-pressed urban districts.
In the budget proposals for 2021-23, the House has a $53 million increase for special education – with little direction on how to spend it other than in alignment with IDEA. The Senate sets aside $48.7 million for the Safety Net (in addition
Wouldn’t it be great to apply that money on a down payment to #DropTheCap and fund all students who require special education services?
Then, the state could seal the deal next budget cycle with funds from the capital gains tax (assuming it passes).
We say: Drop the cap!
Kindest regards.
The Arc of King County and like-minded special education advocates
