In Virginia, most school districts have been able to weather the special education funding cuts so far by not replacing teachers who leave, according to John Eisenberg, assistant superintendent for special education and student services. Many school systems have also reduced or eliminated staff development, which is critical in special education.
“There’s constant change in the field in terms of making sure folks are up to speed and are using research-based practices for students,” Eisenberg said. “As we have learned more and more about things like autism, the field has changed. Getting teachers trained in the most recent research-based practices is critical.”
Virginia schools have also reported big cuts in budgets for materials and technologies to support students with disabilities, which can include electronic devices to help nonverbal students communicate, technology to help students who are hearing-impaired and computers to enlarge text, for example.
In Florida, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties found the money to keep their special education programming intact. But nearby Broward County this year eliminated five of 11 behavior specialists, 10 program specialists and an assistive technology position, according to Mark Halpert, director of the Florida Advocacy Coalition for Learning Disabilities.
Halpert worries about the damage a second year of sequestration could inflict.
“These kids are smart – they learn differently, have challenges and can be enormously successful,” Halpert said. “We owe it as a society to help them succeed.”
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Estimated reductions in dollars in federal funding to the states in fiscal year 2013 for Individuals with Disabilities Education Act Part B Grants, following 5 percent sequestration cuts.
US
$578,892,762
AL
8,915,770
AK
1,919,022
AZ
10,040,553
AR
5,633,069
CA
62,855,318
CO
8,108,108
CT
6,314,489
DE
1,839,638
FL
31,092,117
GA
17,458,448
HI
2,035,593
ID
2,865,332
IL
24,657,563
IN
12,376,969
IA
5,770,827
KS
5,251,785
KY
7,688,909
LA
9,752,289
ME
2,586,535
MD
9,719,363
MA
13,418,282
MI
20,279,289
MN
9,199,308
MS
6,123,987
MO
10,762,593
MT
1,919,022
NE
3,529,607
NV
3,775,945
NH
2,247,666
NJ
17,085,902
NM
4,354,823
NY
36,378,359
NC
16,776,161
ND
1,493,764
OH
22,008,413
OK
7,300,677
OR
6,372,225
PA
21,381,079
RI
2,067,098
SC
8,583,510
SD
1,779,462
TN
11,706,600
TX
51,026,919
UT
5,672,990
VT
1,440,274
VA
13,878,260
WA
11,251,352
WV
3,589,871
WI
10,097,151
WY
1,510,990
DC
924,976
Source: U.S. Department of Education
Copyright 2013 Stateline.org. Visit Stateline.org at www.stateline.org. Distributed by MCT Information Services.
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