NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Nickerson-South Hutchinson USD 309 Superintendent Curtis Nightingale says that the budget impact of the state's failure to fund Special Education to its statutory level is significant in his district along with the others in the area.
"What special ed costs in our district, it's about $2.5 million, is what we spend each year," Nightingale said. "That covers all aspects of the special ed spectrum. The state funds us, although, legally, they are supposed to fund us at 92%, they fund us at about $1.8 million, which leaves a deficit of about $600,000. It's a little over $600,000 that we've got to transfer to cover special ed."
Nightingale doesn't appreciate the rhetoric created by those that don't understand the legislature's failure to follow its own obligations.
"The state's changed the law, where we have to send out that revenue neutral document that lets people know how much our revenue has increased each year, as if we're doing a bad thing and we have to tell on ourselves that we're charging you more money," Nightingale said. "What they are not telling you is the reason that we're having to charge you that more money is because they are underfunding. They are breaking the law by not funding at that 92%. We are left with no recourse but to take that money from our local people to cover that."
Spending on special education is a federal mandate through the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.
"There's a federal law that says, if I spend $10 on special ed last year, I can spend no less than $10 this year," Nightingale said. "Every year, I am required to maintain that same level of funding at least. If I have more students, obviously those costs go up. At minimum, I have to stay at what I paid last year. When the state fails to fund us almost $601,000, I have to take that from somewhere, which means I have to raise taxes locally."
It's also important to note that the gap that is filled in is filled in with money that could otherwise have been used on all students, not just on special education students.
"I have to maintain a certain amount of cash on hand because the state, not only are they not paying the full amount, but they don't pay me on time," Nightingale said. "They pay me late. Then, they criticize and they want to go into the media and blast schools for holding all this cash, like we're squirreling away money. We have to, based on the system."
In addition, the final enrollment number on which actual funding is based doesn't come in until the school year it was for has ended.
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