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Kansas board warns of ‘crisis’ in special-education funding, directs advocacy after KSD task force work
Summary
Board members said gaps between state appropriations and the statutory 92% excess-cost requirement are creating a statewide crisis for districts and the Kansas School for the Deaf; the board prioritized a nationwide search for a new KSD superintendent and urged federal and state action to fill a projected $226M–$259M shortfall.
The Kansas State Board of Education heard an urgent warning Feb. 10 that special-education funding is falling far short of the statutory standard and putting districts at risk, and it renewed a focus on the Kansas School for the Deaf (KSD).
Commissioner Watson, describing the board’s recent KSD task-force work and next steps, emphasized immediate priorities and larger funding shortfalls. "It is a crisis," he said, laying out figures the board used to calculate the state’s obligation under law and the present gap between appropriations and the 92% excess-cost target.
Why it matters: school leaders and the board said districts are shifting general-education dollars to cover rising special-education costs, a dynamic the board tied to both declining…
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