help, facts needed

[Guest guest]

In a message dated 12/31/03 3:31:38 PM Eastern Standard Time,

leslie-kerrigan@... writes:

am going to try and respond with funding facts for special ed (rather

then attacking the letter writer), and want to be 100% clear on my

information. Transportation and educational services are granted under

IDEA, but how much of the cost is covered by the federal government, and

how much must be picked up by the state and local districts? Any other

thoughts/ideas? Thanks!

, mom to (8), (almost 6, DS), and (4)

You are going to have to pull apart your school district budget with the help

of someone who really knows it (often there is someone in the ranks of your

PTA ).

One stat to look for - find out what percent of the school district gets

special ed services, and then find out what percent of the budget goes to

special

ed (you can talk to someone in your school district offices to get this kind

of info). You'll find the numbers don't look so bad compared this way.

Meanwhile - what about all the services the school district funds that your

child doesn't use? Sports facilities? Band faciliies? GT teacher? I'm sure you

could come up with quite a list! NO child uses every facility on campus - yet

there are a wide variety of services and facilites so that every child IS

served in the appropriate capacity.

And then there is the alternative - used to be severely disabled kids were

routinely institutionalized - which is a whole lot more expensive to provide

for. In the long run it's cheaper to the government (ie taxpayers like your

letter-writer) to keep the kids at home with the parents picking up the bulk of

the cost for care & feeding and the government helping provide the education

portion (with the parents taking on a major portion of that part too).

- Becky

- Becky

[Guest guest]

Hi All,

Just read a letter in our local paper that has my blood boiling. He

started off with why the school superintendent got a raise when funding

was being cut, then went right into:

" Unfortnately, the part of the budget that for some reason is sacred is

the one for the special education kids. They will be picked up for free

with only a few students per bus and have an average of one teacher per

three students. Many will probably never be able to read above the

first grade level, but for some reason they are going to try anyway "

I am going to try and respond with funding facts for special ed (rather

then attacking the letter writer), and want to be 100% clear on my

information. Transportation and educational services are granted under

IDEA, but how much of the cost is covered by the federal government, and

how much must be picked up by the state and local districts? Any other

thoughts/ideas? Thanks!

, mom to (8), (almost 6, DS), and (4)