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Superintendent and SPED director warn of special-education staffing and funding strain
Summary
District leaders told the board that special-education enrollment and one-on-one aide needs have increased, funding does not fully cover services and staff recruitment and retention are difficult; SPED Director Kristi Webster said a simple IEP can take eight hours to prepare.
District leaders described mounting pressure on special-education services at the March 9 Duncan Unified Governing Board meeting.
Superintendent D. Eldon Merrell said the district currently serves 72 special-education students with four teachers and has seen an increase in students who require side-by-side aide support. He said funding has not fully covered those costs and that neighboring Lordsburg caps or does not pay certain transportation and special-education supplements for New Mexico students, reducing revenue the district expects for those students.
"It takes her eight hours to write a simple IEP," SPED Director Kristi Webster told the board, describing the administrative burden on staff. Merrell and board members discussed recruitment and retention challenges for special-education teachers and aides; Merrell said the workload "drives people out of special ed." Member James Hughes asked whether fundraising could help; Merrell replied that fundraisers would compete with student clubs and would not realistically cover salaries.
Board Clerk Holly McCluskey asked whether the board could review a sample individualized education program (IEP) to better understand the workload; the board added special education to a future agenda for further discussion and potential follow-up.
Why it matters
Special-education staffing and funding affect students' daily services and the district's personnel budget. The board's decision to place special education on a future agenda signals they will seek more information before making programmatic or budgetary changes.
What is not resolved
District leaders described funding shortfalls and operational burdens but did not present a budgetary solution at the meeting. Specific dollar impacts, proposed staff increases, or program changes were not provided and remain unspecified.
