Should the State Pay the Costs of Special Education?

On February 16, 2012 a bill was introduced in the assembly by Herb Conaway, Jr. from the 7^th District (Burlington) advancing the notion that the burden of Special Education costs should be shifted to the State in order to provide property tax relief for residents.

As reported by the bill’s sponsor, “The increasing number of students and the increasing costs of special education for those students have created a serious shortfall in many school district budgets, which in turn leads to a necessary increase in local property taxes.”

“In addition, some small districts are now required to pay nearly $200,000 per pupil for out-of-State special education placements.”

Under federal and State mandates, all classification and program decisions made by the special education staff must be fully funded regardless of other budget priorities or the availability of resources in the school district.  Special Education continues to claim a larger percentage of the overall school budget each year.

This proposed amendment to the Constitution provides that in order to provide property tax relief, the State would pay all costs of special education for children who are eligible for programs and services which are mandated by State or federal statutes or regulations and further provides that the eligibility of a child for a special education program or service would be determined by the State.

At the present time, State and federal aid is provided for part of the costs of special education for children who are classified by a school district as eligible for a program or service, and the district is responsible for the balance of the costs.

The solution however; is obfuscated by the amendment’s shifting of the burden from property tax to income tax or in other words from local expense to state expense.  The underlying issue remains unchecked:  Special education costs continue to spiral out of control with no cap in sight.

 

strategies for cost containment employed by school district officials including Special Ed. Directors, Superintendents and Business Administrators, are often attenuated by the due process appeals

While the bill claims authority in determining eligibility, I contend the real problem at present is acceptance of program and continuous push by parents and advocacy groups for increased services beyond the IEP’s (individual education plan) prepared by teams of highly qualified child study specialists. 

 

Furthermore, strategies for cost containment employed by school district officials including Special Ed. Directors, Superintendents and Business Administrators, are often attenuated by the due process appeals and more often than not rendered ineffective by ALJ’s (Administrative Law Judge) in rulings favoring the petitioner.

 

The real issue behind the high costs associated with Special Education remains private school increases absent any cap structure compared to public schools along with the inability to enforce IEP’s at the district level.  While every IEP is constructed to adhere to the tenants of providing a ‘Free and Appropriate Education’ or FAPE in the ‘Least Restrictive Environment’ or LRE, the only way costs will be contained or “Rolled Back” is to provide real authority through legislation shifting the burden of proof back to the petitioner or in most cases the parent.

In conclusion, while the amendment attempts to provide relief in the form of reduced property taxes, it does little combat or address the actual cause.

NJSBA Workshop 2012 in Atlantic City, NJ

 

Louis J. Pepe                  

School Business Administrator, Summit Public Schools
Greater New York City Area

LinkedIn

         
We are in the "Business of Education," as School Business Administrators we have the opportunity to serve as leaders who positively impact student performance through a myriad of disciplines directly affecting the quality and delivery of instruction. Inspirational Leadership is my passion as it allows us to inspire those around us to do more when nothing less will do!

Join us on the following dates to discuss one way return dollars to the classroom through effective cash management that starts with the right banking relationship.
 

Tuesday, October 23 - 10:00 am         

 

How to Get the Most Our of Your Bank (Speakers: Louis J. Pepe)

 Wednesday, October 24 - 11:00 am 

 

How to Get the Most Our of Your Bank (Speakers: Louis J. Pepe)

Raising Test Scores by Lowering Temperatures in the Classroom

The Following post was forwarded to me by one of my former students in the Graduate Program at MSU.  The major takeaway from the article, "A number of studies have borne out the link between the quality of school facilities and student achievement," is a point that I continually stress as the "Value Add" custodial maintenance brings to the district by providing classrooms that are conducive to learning.  Addressing facility needs is the next step in taking a holistic approach to maintaining positive facilities that are clean, safe, efficient and conducive to learning.

Providing airconditiong through renovation upgrades or design build not only improves the indoor air quality, it allows for a quality atmosphere to delivery quality instruction!  This commitment to our district in the City of Summit has provided such a setting in our five elementary schools where temperatures reached over 90 degrees in many classrooms during the months of May, June and September each year.  Better yet, taking advantage of state facility grants (RODS) the board of education was able to manage these needed upgrades at .60 cents on the dollar, with 40% of the total covered by the state, as part of a comprehensive mechanical upgrade project at each school involving new boilers, univents, exhaust fans and air conditioning.  In addition we focused on gaining energy efficiency through a comprehensive district wide window and door project also funded in large part through state facilities grants.  The obvious pay off will be in lower energy bills meaning more dollars for the classroom; however, given the fact we are in the business of education... the ultimate return on investment will be enhance student performance.

Posted at 04:00 AM ET, 09/12/2012TheWashingtonPost

Why shouldn’t Chicago teachers ask for air- conditioned schools?

By Valerie Strauss

One of the seemingly smaller issues that striking Chicago teachers are asking for is air-conditioning in schools where there isn’t any.  One can almost hear folks in St. Louis or Birmingham or Miami, Chicago parents drop their children off to spend the morning — without teachers — at Benjamin E. Mays Academy during the strike. ((M. Spencer Green/AP)) saying: “It’s hotter here. What’s their problem in Chicago?”

Indeed, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who is battling the Chicago Teachers Union, said the other day: “It’s 71 degrees outside. We don’t go on strike for air conditioning.” (He apparently forgot that some classes had to be cancelled because of a deadly heat wave this past summer, but never mind.)
The real issue here, of course, isn’t the temperature in Chicago. It is this: Why shouldn’t the climate in American public school buildings be conducive to teaching and learning? This isn’t just a perk for greedy teachers; environment affects students.

If you have ever tried to concentrate when it is stifling hot, you can imagine what happens in many schoolrooms. A number of studies have borne out the link between the quality of school facilities and student achievement.

That means most schools (except in places with consistently moderate weather) should have working air conditioning and/or heating systems, windows that open, air that doesn’t reek from pesticides or old carpets or anything else, and doors so that one class doesn’t have to hear another. No lead paint. No asbestos.

In Chicago, many of the schools are crumbling, quite literally, and wouldn’t you know it — they are among the lowest performing. A 2011 study of the facilities found that 92 Chicago Public School buildings, with a total of 44,100 students, need an average of $137 per square foot — a total of $750 million — to bring them into good repair. All but 15 percent of students in those schools come from low-income families.
There are those, of course, who will say this: “Kids learn in difficult conditions in other countries. Why can’t American kids?”
Setting aside the issue of how other students really learn, the answer is: Why should they have to?

2012 Summer Projects.wmv

Are You a Leader? -Motivating

Leaving NCLB Behind

The recent race for educational gains outlined by the federal government under No Child Left Behind has turned from a long distance run to a sprint; only the runners have turned around from the predetermined finish line established by the US Department of Ed to run their own local races with the approval of waivers.

As reported July 6, 2012 on the ED.gov, Washington and Wisconsin are the latest to be approved by the Obama Administration bringing the number of approved waivers to 26 States with 10 additional states and the District of Columbia currently under review.

Each waiver request has been based on the disconnect between the expected goals and the reality of their position in the race with some states lagging far behind the leaders and no real front runner expected to finish.  "It is a remarkable milestone that in only five months, more than half of the states in the country have adopted state-developed, next-generation education reforms to improve student learning and classroom instruction, while ensuring that resources are targeted to the students that need them most," said U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan. "A strong, bipartisan reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act remains the best path forward in education reform, but as 26 states have now demonstrated, our kids can't wait any longer for Congress to act."[1]

US Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan
agrees with flaws in current NCLB model.

The 26 states that have been approved for waivers from NCLB include: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

The 10 other states (plus Washington, D.C.) with outstanding requests for waivers include: Arizona, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, Oregon and South Carolina.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan said he is taking action because of “universal clamoring” from officials in nearly every state, who say they cannot meet the unrealistic requirements of the nine-year-old federal education law.Washington Post - August 2011 - U.S. to grant waivers for No Child Left Behind

Everyone enjoys a good race; however, state after state begins to see their runners tiring as the hurdles continue to grow in number and size with escalating demands, culminating in the goal of 100 % proficiency for all students in reading and math by 2014.  Failure to reach this goal will result serious sanctions for their schools, including the loss of federal aid.

As reported in the Post:  “Educators say that the pressure of trying to reach 100 percent proficiency has created an unhealthy focus on standardized tests, with continual drilling in the classroom and a narrowing of curriculum that excludes anything beyond math and reading. Some also blame the law for creating a warped atmosphere that led educators to allegedly rig test results in Atlanta, Baltimore and the District of Columbia.”

This growing viewpoint is also shared by the officials as Duncan relayed the following message to the coaches, “The law’s weaknesses have undermined education reform, Duncan said. Since the law allows states to create their own standards and measures of proficiency, some have “dummied down” standards to inflate test scores, Duncan said.

Passion trumps intellect.

This video was shared at the Annual Custodial Maintenance Leadership Workshop, which dovetailed the title:  got Passion?  Check it out....

Got Passion?

This year's winners of the Leadership Award
*John Cavallaro, Custodian - Jefferson ES
*Christopher Pacio - Head Custodian SHS

Recently I had the honor of addressing the district custodial maintenance team at the Annual Custodial Maintenance Kick Off Meeting for the 2012-2013 School Year.  With summer approaching, this the official start of the school year for district lead projects and initiatives aimed at achieving our goal of  'Providing an Environment that is Conducive to Learning'.

This goal while simple in terms is only acheivable through a shared vision that encompases environments well beyond the classroom itself as we survey the district's need in the area of facilities and grounds.  The men and women of the Summit Public Schools custodial maintenance team clearly demonstrate the value add that they bring to the district year round.  This ROI is critical in measuring the outcomes that provide the district with buildings that remain in a high state of readiness to foster better learning environments for student achievement.

Results like these are not possible in an outsourced setting as the accomplishments go unmatched in a system that calls for basic cleaning functions from privitized firms that often fall short of the extra efforts needed to be truly successful.  The catalyst is PASSION!  These individuals have what it takes to go beyond the basics of janitorial duties and instead exhibit the spirit, knowledge and determination to act as custodians; care takers of the facilities.

At a time when budgetary dollars are stretched and all aspects of the operations are continuosly evaluated for cost benefit, the value add remains the primary reason continuation and continued success.  In summary, "We are in the Business of Education!"  And these men and women continue to play a vital role in the delivery of instruction.