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Teachers association and parent groups urge more special-education capacity and staffing
Summary
During public comment at the Dec. 9 Washington County board meeting, the teachers association and parent advocates called for reallocating local funds and lobbying for full federal IDEA funding, and said staffing shortfalls and student behavior are creating urgent needs.
Carol Mauen, identified in the transcript as president of the Washington County Teachers Association, urged the board to work with Superintendent Dr. Sovine and staff to reallocate local resources and expand capacity for special education. Mauen outlined the district’s recurring problem: while Maryland’s blueprint law and state allocations have increased some resources, federal funding under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) has never reached the level Congress originally pledged. "When it [IDEA] was enacted, Congress committed to fund 40% of the average per pupil cost for special education," Mauen said, noting that current federal funding covers a fraction of the cost and that Washington County’s gap was cited in the presentation as roughly $13,000,000.
Roger Stenerson of Rising to Learn followed, telling the board that staff turnover, understaffing and unmet needs in special education and student behavior demand greater priority and funding from the district. He said senior staff departures and stretched personnel have reduced available services and urged the board to prioritize student supports "ahead of less consequential matters."
Board members responded by acknowledging the concerns. Several members said they support continued funding for special education and asked staff to identify options for reallocating resources or seeking county support. The transcript shows the board agreed to continue working with the superintendent and staff on capacity and funding issues; no new funding appropriation was approved during the meeting.
Mauen also asked the board to advocate for federal legislation to fully fund IDEA. The transcript notes she referenced the "IDEA Full Funding Act" (introduced in Congress) as a legislative vehicle but recorded that it remained in early stages in the 119th Congress as of December 2025. The board did not take a formal public position on federal legislation during the meeting.
Next steps noted in the meeting included continued dialogue between the board, WCPS staff and stakeholder groups; board members asked staff to present possible resource reallocation and to continue collaborative quarterly meetings with WCTA.
