Funding of public schools, and especially special education, is a thorny subject. A group of organizations under the banner Reform Special Education Funding (http://reformspecialedfunding.org/ ) commissioned a costing-out study of special education and have posted an executive summary as well as the full report on their site.
Some key findings:
* Providing a basic, quality education for students eligible for special education requires, on average, more than twice the cost of teaching students without special needs.
* 391 school districts have inadequate funding for special education, averaging an annual shortfall of nearly $1 million per district.
* Statewide, the total gap in annual funding for special education is $380 million. The average per pupil shortfall is $1,947, based on a total of 194,862 students in districts with a funding gap.
* Raising special education resources to an adequate level for all students would greatly increase the ability of school districts to meet the basic needs of students with disabilities.
* Fundamental needs that often go under-served include: (i) adequate staffing, specialized personnel, and professional development; (ii) assistive technology devices/services; (iii) student support programs/services.
* Funding reforms will benefit families and communities by strengthening the education of all students, increasing instructional effectiveness, improving student performance, and lowering long-run societal costs.
The Best Evidence Encyclopedia has a recent, lengthy interview with Dr. Zahorchak.
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