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News › District 6 struggles with influx of special education students
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Education: District 6 struggles with influx of special education students
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Posted by sylvia on Monday, July 02, 2007 (11:21:37)
By Chris Casey
When three students with multiple disabilities entered Greeley-Evans School District 6 late last school year, it looked like a blip.
But magnify those few by the 250 special-education students identified in the district after the December count -- the report that determines how much federal funding a district gets for special education -- and budgets begin to bend and break.
That's what happened in the district's Exceptional Student Services Department this spring when student numbers swelled, causing a $1 million shortfall. The district -- mandated by the federal government to educate the students -- will cover the gap through the next two years, mostly by tapping reserve funds.
Earlier this month, the school board heard a report about 137 students who were identified after the federally mandated December count. That number is now 250 students -- 152 who were enrolled since last August but weren't identified until after the count, and 98 who moved into the district after December who were identified as having special needs or subsequently were identified.
The students beyond the 137 are primarily pre-kindergarten and were absorbed by last year's budget, said Vicki Hubbard, the district's Exceptional Student Services director. Still, while post-count special-education students arrive every year, and must be absorbed by the general fund budget, this year's bubble was greater than normal.
"Our rise was so big, and how much money it was, it was like, 'Whoa, a huge impact,' " Hubbard said.
School officials can't pinpoint what caused the influx, but Hubbard suspects that more families are becoming aware of special-education services in District 6. Early intervention programs, such as Child Find, which screens young children for disabilities, are being more widely used, she said.
Early detection is key, she said. "That makes a huge difference in us getting these students served."
Jesse Quinby, vice president of the District 6 school board, suspects some of the influx is from smaller school districts surrounding District 6 that are less equipped to handle the many needs of special-education students.
"We need to see where they're all coming from," he said. "Anecdotally, we know that they're coming from outside the district."
District 6 has 12 percent of its students in special education, up from 11 percent four years ago. The state average is 10 percent and other northern Colorado districts of similar sizes -- Fort Collins, Loveland and Longmont -- have 9.6, 8.2 and 8.8 percent, respectively. Unlike Greeley-Evans, those districts didn't see a sizable jump in post-count numbers this year.
Quinby said District 6, Weld County's largest school district, offers a full gamut of special-ed programs. It's hard to know when the surge will taper off, he said, but if numbers continue to swell, the district may need to set up a reserve contingency fund specifically for special education.
"We don't have any alternatives but to meet that (federal) mandate," he said. "We'll get ourselves into bigger trouble by shorting that (department) than by funding it."
To help cope with the current budget crunch, the Exceptional Student Services department has reduced one coordinator, leaving three, and has left vacant a program secretary position and two psychologist positions.
Hubbard told the board earlier this month she is working to find other budget efficiencies that are as far removed from students as possible. She is looking into ways the department can better collaborate with other community service agencies.
Managing special education is one of the most complex tasks in a district, because the spectrum of disabilities and required services -- from specialist faculty and staff to equipment -- is so wide. District 6 has seen increases of special-ed students in most categories from 2002 to 2006, including in physical or other health impairments (up 52 percent), autism (up 71 percent ) and traumatic brain injury (up 47 percent).
"We are obligated to take care of them no matter how they come to us," Hubbard said. "Every student needs to have these support services."
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Posted by sylvia on Monday, July 02, 2007 (11:21:37) (1177 reads)
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