IDEA funding

[lilly]

Buried on replies 27 & 28 in a thread on a NCLB debate are questions about special ed stimulus aid.

wantaghsd.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=academics&action=display&thread=166&page=2

I asked the question at the BOE hearing. Details sketchy, to come maybe this summer. The Wantagh budget excludes sped stimulus aid which will come with conditions like the $ can't supplant current funding but maybe something to shore up programs. In addition, it is short-term aid which we would only get for 2 years so IMO that is correct that this aid comes with stipulations that recognize its a short term thing.

It will be interesting to see what the district earmarks this aid for.

In other news, I can't make a call on if it will pass politically, but there is an amendment up Wednesday in the House to fully fund IDEA.
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www.disabilityscoop.com/2009/05/06/idea-funding/3155/

An amendment introduced in U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday seeks to fully fund the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The act ensures the right to a free and appropriate education for children with disabilities. When Congress initially passed legislation mandating such educational services for students with disabilities in 1975, the federal government committed to provide 40 percent of its cost, with states and school districts covering the rest. That has never come to fruition, however, with federal funding for IDEA traditionally accounting for less than 20 percent.

“For far too long, our nation’s schools have been waiting patiently for Congress to fulfill its promise to fully fund special education,” Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., said in introducing the amendment. “By fully funding special education, we would free up desperately needed funds schools across America could use to address their specific needs – whether it is state of the art classrooms, additional teachers or new textbooks.”

[Chris_Wendt]

My educated guess is that Wantagh and 698 of the 704 school districts in this state know nothing of the rules, stipulations, or requirements of this new aid. Consequently, Wantagh plus 698, meaning 699 of the state's school districts were not able to budget spending appropriations which would have allowed them (us) to use the aid, once all the red tape is rolled-out.

But I also would imagine that the Big Five Cities school systems, plus SED are already fully aware of the eligibility requirements and spending regulations for this aid, and have already "plugged it in" to their 2009-10 budgets.

My final suspicion is that, when all is said and done, that Wantagh and the other 698 school districts outside of the Big Five (Buffalo, New York City, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers) will get essentially NOTHING out of NY State's share of this federal aid, because the Big Five will have already spent or be committed to spending it by the time the rest of us find out the rules and put it into our 2010-11 budgets.

Just one opinion

Crhis Wendt

[lilly]

That would be a bummer. I hope that doesn't happen.

Can't school districts just increase appropriations to reflect aid revenue? Wantagh has done that for SOS and other donations, extra Fuschillo $, etc.

And if NYS Ed and gov.'t allow the scenario you outlined to happen, they should be ashamed of themselves.

[Chris_Wendt]

Only if the increased appropriation is made in response to increased revenue actually received, as a member item grant or a cash donation.

But no, not to spend money for which the aid payment is prospective, meaning, earned as the result of the district spending the money on the program, first; and no, not if the aid does not 100% cover the full cost of the services to be provided by the program.

Unless, of course the increased appropriation was balanced against cuts in other areas of the budget, such as sports, the District Photographer, the PR firm, or additional adminstrative cuts, such as any of the varied "Assistant" positions of which we are so fondly reliant.

[lilly]

Messy, messy, messy....
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www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/05/20/32speced.h28.html?tkn=YRSF2

Published Online: May 18, 2009
Published in Print: May 20, 2009

Includes correction(s): May 20, 2009

Restrictions on Spec. Ed. Spending Prompt Complaints
Some Districts Won't Get Stimulus Money Under Performance Rankings
By Christina A. Samuels

The complex rules that govern how federal dollars must be spent on special education services are getting a new, critical look as stimulus money starts flowing to the states.

The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act says that when federal funding increases, school districts can shift a portion of their local special education money to other educational purposes. With more than $12 billion in IDEA aid coming from the federal government under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act over two years, districts were expecting a lot of relief.

But the U.S. Department of Education has told the states some districts don’t have that flexibility after all. In the terminology used in the federal law, those districts are not providing a "free, appropriate public education."

How many districts might be affected by that "guidance modification"Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader, released April 13 by the Education Department, is unknown. The department ranks each state’s special education performance based on a series of indicators, and states, in turn, rank their districts based on the same indicators.

States are required to make determinations annually about the special education performance of each of their school districts. If a state determines that a district is not meeting targets in the state's performance plan, the state must prohibit that district from reducing its "maintenance of effort" in spending, acording to the Education Department.
Too Restrictive?

Mary Kusler, the assistant director of government relations for the American Association of School Administrators, based in Arlington, Va., said the federal guidance is too restrictive.

"If every district has to spend 100 percent of its federal dollars, it makes it difficult to spend this money," she said. Districts have been warned not to spend money on projects that may have ongoing costs because the stimulus dollars will dry up in two years.

"You can’t tell us that this was [Congress’] intent," said Ms. Kusler, who along with other education lobbyists argued against the guidance in a meeting with federal officials. "These districts want to reclaim their local dollars. They should be allowed to do so."

Candace Cortiella, a parent advocate with the Advocacy Institute in Marshall, Va., has created a Web site, ideamoneywatch.com, to gather information about district rankings and to make sure that districts are using their IDEA money under the stimulus as the federal government has required.

Though states are required to post indicator data from districts, they are not required to post whether a district "meets requirements," "needs assistance," "needs intervention," or, in the lowest rating, "needs substantial intervention."

"I’m certainly in favor of there being some degree of accountability before you can just take away the money," Ms. Cortiella said.

Federal special education law also requires that school districts spend a certain percentage of federal money to provide services for students at private schools located within district boundaries.

But with so much new money coming on top of this fiscal year’s $11.1 billion for special education, it doesn’t make sense to divert the same percentage to private schools when the private schools’ needs haven’t changed, argued Kevin D. Magin, the associate superintendent for special programs for the Wayne Regional Educational Service Agency, which provides services and support to 34 school districts in Wayne County, Mich.

Relatively few private school students receive special education services, and most of them need speech therapy, a relatively inexpensive program, Mr. Magin said.

The state can’t use the extra money to buy textbooks or hire teachers for private schools, he said. And increasing the number of children served means that the state would continue to be responsible for them after the stimulus money ended.

"This is way more money than is really necessary," Mr. Magin said of the private school share.

Georgene Wojciechowski, the associate superintendent for the 36,200-student Archdiocese of Detroit schools, deals with 56 local districts that have a Roman Catholic school within their borders. The stimulus money will help those districts "enhance what services are received," she said, "and will help find more students faster than what had been happening."

About 176 students received special education services in archdiocesan schools in 2007-08, she said.

"Those districts that are tighter with their budgets, this will give them more confidence" to provide services, she said.

[Chris_Wendt]

This is a sick joke, and a really bad one...

...when you consider the lack of restrictions on federal bailout money to Citigroup, General Motors, Chrysler, and AIG. It was just, "Here's your money, and there's a lot more where this came from!"

But, with this, it's like, "Here; here's some money...

...it's for the children...but...not so fast!"

Disheartened.

Chris Wendt

[lilly]

Haven't heard an update on NY stimulus education spending, but here is an account of NJ:

www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/08/nj_school_districts_look_to_fe.html

[Chris_Wendt]

Hildebrand should get all over this...where is New York's IDEA funding and WHAT are we (NYS) doing with it??

As I said, previously, this looks to me like a sick joke...

...and the joke is on us, New York!

Thanks for posting the interesting and informative link, Lilly.

At least we know what an IDEA stimulus plan COULD look like!

Regards,
Chris Wendt