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District warns of roughly $900,000 in uncovered special-education costs
Summary
District leaders told the community that special-education expenses are outpacing dedicated funding, creating an estimated $900,000 shortfall that the levy seeks to cover; officials warned state and federal funding currently falls short of mandates.
Amanda Bush said the district expects about $900,000 in special-education costs that are not covered by state and federal funding, and that compliance with IEP obligations forces the district to use general-fund dollars. "We anticipate having about $900,000 of uncovered special education costs next year," she said, and added that state per‑student allocations for special education equal general-education funding, leaving rural districts to absorb the difference.
Trustee Roy Farmer and members of the public echoed the concern that federal IDEA funding has never approached the 40% coverage once envisioned nationally. Farmer said auditors provide "reasonable assurance" but that compliance obligations and court rulings prevent using cost as a reason to limit services. Officials said the levy is intended in part to prevent special-education spending from supplanting other education priorities.
