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Special-education advocate urges funding for staff to help parents navigate complex IEP and complaint system
Summary
The Office of the Advocate for Special Education said current resources are insufficient to handle a rising caseload and requested classified staff additions and line-item shifts so it can deliver case assistance and policy work across New Hampshire's 30,000 students with IEPs.
Kristen Moncharmani, New Hampshire's Advocate for Special Education, and Tim Linehan told senators their office was created to help parents navigate the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act framework and to provide policy and data supports for the state's special-education system.
Role and rationale: Moncharmani said the office is discretionary and works with families who lack the resources and legal expertise to secure appropriate special-education services. "Parents are telling the legislature it is very hard for us, even if our child is identified with a disability, sometimes to get the services that we believe they're entitled to but we don't know how to ask for them," she said. She said the office collaborates with the Department of Education and is frequently referred cases.
Staffing ask: The office submitted a prioritized needs package seeking classified positions to meet its statutory mandate. Moncharmani requested a low-cost, zero-net-change shift to current-expense lines to gain operational flexibility and a prioritized set of classification additions in the 'needs' list that would expand the office to roughly five staffers to deliver casework, policy tracking and data analysis.
Why it matters: New Hampshire spends over $900 million on special education for about 30,000 students; Moncharmani argued the office helps ensure the money purchases services and that families can access dispute-resolution and impartial processes when necessary.
Senators asked for details on line-item shifts and what minimal changes could enable the office to function; Moncharmani said she would accept small operating flexibilities if additional staffing cannot be funded this biennium.
Ending: The office asked the Senate to consider modest shifts or staffing restorations so it can respond to growing caseloads, provide legislative policy support and reduce the number of disputes that escalate to costly legal proceedings.
