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Special ed could take another budget hit 20% cut may mean reductions in staff By Damian Mann Local programs for severely disabled students stand to lose $600,000 under Gov. John Kitzhaber�s plan to cut such programs statewide by $5.5 million. If the plan is approved by the Legislature, the Jackson Education Service District could lose more than 20 percent of its $2.9 million budget for education services to severely disabled students in five Southern Oregon counties, including Jackson. For a district already saddled by increased enrollment and decreased funding, it�s a heavy blow that could result in staff reductions, said Paul Rickerson, director of ESD�s special education services. Rickerson said the shortfall locally would have to be made up either by school districts, other funding sources or a reduction of seven full-time staff members out of about 35 total. "Any regional reduction in the budget could end up costing the districts more," he said. Rickerson hopes that lobbying efforts will prod the Legislature into rejecting this portion of the governor�s budget. "It�s a most unfortunate turn of events," Rickerson said. This news comes as superintendents from Jackson and neighboring counties agreed recently to help ESD with mounting expenses related to its overall special education program mandated by the federal government. Rickerson�s department provides local school districts with teachers and other services for 613 students with hearing or visual impairments, blindness, severe orthopedic impairment and autism. These are some of the most expensive students to educate, costing $20,000 or more, compared to an average $5,000 a student. Jackson ESD also provides services for other school programs from a total budget of $15 million. Kitzhaber�s plan would actually cut $270,000 from ESD�s budget for the severely disabled, but another $380,000 is needed to meet cost-of-living increases, bringing the total amount to more than $600,000, Rickerson said. "It�s a double whammy," he said. Rickerson said rather than imposing ESD staff reductions to meet the shortfall, it is more likely that the school districts will make up the difference from their own budgets rather than opting to undertake the expensive creation and maintenance of their own programs. Rickerson, who said funding for special education hasn�t kept pace with demand for the past 10 years, will meet today with other education service district officials throughout the state to discuss the problem. Jim Green, senior legislative analyst for the Oregon School Boards Association, said his organization will lobby the governor and Legislature to halt the $5.5 million cutback. Since regional programs received a $5 million funding hike two years ago from the federal government, Green believes the governor felt justified in making this cutback. But he added, "It�s a serious threat. The budget�s tight already." In the meantime, special education services have used the money to increase services and to cover cost-of-living increases. Special education services is currently funded at 15 percent from the federal government, which originally promised to contribute 40 percent, Green said. "This is a situation that has gone on since the �80s," he said. "If the feds are going to mandate these programs, then they should help pay for them." Julie DiChiro, superintendent for Ashland School District, said the budget shortfall to regional special education is "a backdoor cut to school districts." Because Kitzhaber has told all his departments, including education, to make 10 percent cutbacks, they have targeted other programs to make up the difference, DiChiro said. Her district, which doesn�t use the regional programs as much as other districts, will have to come up with about $18,500 as its share of the $5.5 million cutback, she said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 776-4476, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2000 Mail Tribune, Inc.