Richfield school leaders urge state fixes as funding shifts cut compensatory education roles

Richfield Public School District leaders presented a legislative platform at a study session that asked state lawmakers to address cuts to compensatory education funding, growing special-education shortfalls and new unfunded mandates that the district says are squeezing classroom supports.

Superintendent Yudowski summarized the district’s top funding concern: “We are looking for permanent funding for future compensatory education,” saying recent state changes tied to universal free meals and direct certification have left the state funded “at $35,000,000 less than last year” and produced what the district estimates will be about a $1,500,000 reduction in compensatory-education services next year. “We’re going to have to reduce reading teachers, math teachers, and supports to students in poverty,” Yudowski said.

The request framed why the issue matters: compensatory-education dollars support extra academic staff and services aimed at students in poverty, and district leaders said the shift to universal free meals plus the move to direct certification has altered how students are…