Special-education cooperative reports $11.28 million budget, staffing and funding uncertainty

Chris Coleman, the new director of special education for the local cooperative serving USD 464 and a neighboring district, gave the board a detailed update on staffing, programs and finances during the Sept. 8 meeting. Coleman said the cooperative’s 2025–26 expenditure budget is $11.282 million, and that 95.4 percent of that budget is personnel costs. “The vast majority of our budget is paying salary and benefits to our employees,” Coleman said. As of mid‑last week he reported the cooperative started the year with roughly $132,000 in cash balances and has a short-term goal to raise that to about $250,000 to handle unpredictable needs. Coleman provided staffing and program counts: the cooperative has two administrators (the director and an assistant director), three office staff (one part time), three special-education support coaches and, within Tonganoxie, 38 certified special-education staff (teachers, speech-language pathologists, occupational therapists, school psychologists). He said the cooperative is serving 348 students in Tonganoxie and operates nine center-based programs across the cooperative for students with higher-intensity needs. On funding, Coleman said state special-education reimbursement remains uncertain. He described the state’s current primary funding method as teacher-reimbursement and said the cooperative currently estimates $29,600 per reported staff member — about $1,200 less per staff member than the previous year. Coleman said the cooperative does not know the final state allocation until near the end of the fiscal year and that a legislative committee is studying alternative funding methods. Coleman described three district priorities for special education this year: student achievement (growth for every student), compliance with KSDE performance indicators, and staff engagement/retention. He said the cooperative’s operational focus areas include improved communication to boards and building leaders, structured professional development (including paraeducator training and monthly administrator PD), and fiscal responsibility through deliberate staffing decisions, limiting costly contract agencies and maximizing revenue through accurate state reporting. He estimated hiring and reducing contract agency use could save about $250,000 this year if staffing needs hold steady. Questions from board members focused on data and outcomes. One board member asked for future briefings on KSDE indicator data and student outcomes; Coleman agreed to provide further detail at a later meeting. Ending: Coleman said he will provide periodic cooperative updates and that district leaders will continue to monitor special-education staffing and funding as enrollment and student needs change.