NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Hutchinson USD 308 Budget Director Sheila Meggers said the USD 308 Board of Education set some priorities when looking at spending for this school year.
"Number one was increased instructional support," Meggers said. "That also came out of our ESSER process. We're using funds out of our general fund, out of our ESSER, out of Title, again that's the strategic piece of pulling it from everywhere, but instruction and instructional support are a top priority. We know we have some gaps from COVID and we're trying to make that up. Some other areas are just salaries to recruit and retain highly qualified staff. Like probably everyone else in the community, we're struggling to get and retain staff. We also are focusing on some increased staff development, especially around literacy, because that is an area we're trying to improve across the district, as well."
Then there are the ongoing systemic issues with special education funding that all districts are dealing with, but that have a strong impact in USD 308.
"The state is required to fund 92% of our excess costs," Meggers said. "Since we have our own Special Ed program, that's a huge benefit to students in our district. We don't have to bus them to neighboring districts. We can provide them services in house, but it is also an ongoing expense for us. The state's required to fund 92%. Last year, they funded 74%, this year, it's going to be around 70%. Next year, the anticipated amount is around 64%. For Hutchinson, that's about $3.7 million this year that we will not be funded through the state for. So, we have to make that up through our other funds."
Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and her Republican rival, Attorney General Derek Schmidt, both lay most of the underfunding issue at the feet of Congress and their failure to fund the mandates in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which is supposed to fund at 40% of excess cost. It's never been above the teens. On the ground, though, Meggers just wants to be able to help more kids.
"I'm not sure we care which...who funds it, whether it's state or federal, but the reality at the end of the day is that, our estimate is at least $3.7 million that we will need to fund. We will provide those services to students, but it just costs us above and beyond. Costs aren't going down and so it is becoming a bigger and bigger expense for us."
ESSER funding has helped to fill some of that gap in the immediate post-COVID years, but when that additional money goes away, how to pay for the ongoing needs is going to become more of an issue if legislators do not step in to fix it.