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Special-education director briefs board on budget, IEP trends and staffing supports
Summary
Dina Hagen, the district director of student services and special education, told the board the district’s special-education budget is about $11.3 million, that federal and state reimbursement rates cover only a portion of costs, and described steps the district is taking to reduce paperwork burden and improve program continuity.
Dina Hagen, director of student services and special education for Superior School District, told the Committee of the Whole on Jan. 6 that the district’s special-education budget is about $11,300,000 and that federal and state reimbursements cover only a fraction of that total.
Hagen said the district receives roughly $1,300,000 in federal revenue for special education and that federal funding formulas — she said last updated in 1993 — fall well short of the statutory 40% funding target. “They’re supposed to fund 40%. We don’t get nearly that much. It hovers around 13%,” Hagen said. She added the district receives about 33% state reimbursement for eligible expenses and that the district is seeking an increase in that percentage; she noted a common advocacy target of 60%.
Hagen said the combined reimbursements cover about $3,350,000, leaving roughly $6,700,000 that must be transferred from the general fund to cover special-education costs. She described the district’s five-year trend analysis showing the district’s share of students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) is above state averages, with most IEPs in the district classified as specific learning disabilities and speech/language needs in second place.
On staffing and workload, Hagen described ongoing efforts to reduce the paperwork burden for special-education teachers. The district provides quarterly paid "pizza and paperwork" sessions and quarterly paperwork days where teachers may use subs to cover instruction while completing reports. Hagen said the district also hired a special-education coach, Christie Roncetti, to provide additional support and that a steering committee representing all buildings is working on program continuity from pre-K through 12th grade.
Hagen and board members discussed high-cost student aid the state offers when a single student’s needs exceed a threshold; she said the district will submit an application for one student but did not specify the expected reimbursement amount or threshold formula.
The presentation was informational; no formal action was taken. Hagen said the district continues to monitor outcomes and will return with data-driven recommendations as it refines supports and funding requests.
