Granite School District officials warn special-education funding shortfalls strain services; co-taught kindergarten shows early gains

Granite School District officials told the school board on an agenda item about special education that the district is using substantial local general-fund dollars to cover services for students with disabilities while federal and state funding lag.

The discussion, led by Dr. Day, a district staff presenter, centered on funding shortfalls, student-counting problems tied to delayed Individualized Education Program (IEP) files and early results from a co-taught kindergarten pilot. Board members asked staff for follow-up reports and teacher feedback.

Board members said the district commits local general-fund money to cover special-education needs. "Granite School District commits $10,000,000 above and beyond special education funding that we receive from both federal and state allocations," a board member said during the discussion. The board emphasized those local investments support inclusive classrooms and additional staffing to keep students with disabilities in general-education settings where data show benefits for both groups of students.

Dr. Day outlined how federal and state funding levels compare with longtime federal expectations. "Congress committed to funding what it costs to provide special education at 40%" under the 1975 Education for All Handicapped Children Act, Dr. Day said, "and the states were gonna then carry 60% of that. Right now, the federal government only funds it at 13%." Dr. Day said the district receives about $13,000,000 in federal flow-through special-education funds and about $36,000,000 from the state, and that local funds fill the remainder.

Board members and staff also discussed how state funding formulas and differences in weighted pupil units (WPU) affect services across states. A staff speaker said other states have WPUs closer to $20,000 compared with the district's WPU of about $4,200, and that expectation gaps can create pressure to provide higher-cost services when families transfer from wealthier districts.

The board pressed staff on student-counting and data issues that reduce state and federal allocations when students are not captured in the counts. Dr. Day said the district sometimes does not receive an incoming student's physical special-education file or the student's IEP is not entered into the district system in time. "We were about a thousand students short in our December 1 count this year over last year. But in February, we added nearly a thousand students to our count with start dates of August. So those students existed. We were servicing them; we didn't get — they weren't counted because somewhere along the way the file was late getting there," Dr. Day said.

Board members discussed the administrative burden on teachers to enter IEPs into the district system and the need to simplify tracking. The board suggested staff pursue system improvements, and one board member said special-education funding should be a priority at the upcoming Joint Legislative Committee (JLC) meeting.

On classroom models, staff reported early positive outcomes for co-taught kindergarten classrooms that received one-time district funds. A staff speaker said co-taught kindergarten classes "are outpacing the previous year" on early literacy and screening measures, and that general-education students in those classrooms are also showing improved progress. Co-taught classes were described as having up to 20 students, two certified teachers and two paraeducators; staff confirmed the paraeducators in those rooms are funded through special-education dollars.

Board members asked for more detailed follow-up. The board asked staff to return in June with testing and behavior indicators, to survey co-teachers for anecdotal feedback on behavior and classroom management, and to arrange site visits so trustees could observe classroom practice. Dr. Day and district staff agreed to provide monthly indicators and a fuller June report.

The discussion did not include a formal board vote on funding or program changes; board members framed the item as a status briefing and a request for additional staff reporting.

Moving forward, board members signaled they want special-education funding and student-count accuracy included among district legislative priorities and budget planning to address the gap between program need and external funding.