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Parents and staff warn of harm as district reports special-education funding shortfall
Summary
District staff reported a special-education funding shortfall attributed to state formula cuts, undercounts and Medicaid changes; parents urged the board to prioritize paras and special-education teachers and consider one-time funding.
Dr. Bryce Day, the district’s special education leader, told the Board the program faces a funding shortfall driven by state formula cuts, undercounting of students and changes to Medicaid eligibility, and that the district has seen a rapid increase in students with intensive needs over the past three years. He outlined next steps including resource reallocation, adjusting caseload assignments, budgeting paraeducator allotments and implementing a digital SCRAM tracking system.
Two public commenters urged immediate action. Krysta Dimick, a parent at Morningside Elementary, said parents should not bear the cost of the shortfall: "Children should not suffer because of decreased funds." Educator and parent Katie Fortenberry asked the Board to provide one-time funding, prioritize para and special-education teacher positions, and increase oversight of staff reassignments. The Board received the report and heard the community concerns; no formal budget vote to reallocate funds was taken at this meeting.
