July 13th, 2011
IDEA Money Watch has obtained the information submitted by the Kansas Dept. of Education to the U.S. Dept. of Education regarding reduction to local spending (maintenance of effort or MOE) and use of federal IDEA funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) for each school district for the 2009 fiscal year. Get Kansas information here. (PDF, 12 pgs).
This information is important because it indicates if school districts reduced local spending in light of IDEA Recovery Act funds in FY 2009. IDEA does not require that local districts replace these funds when the Recovery funds run out, putting services for students with disabilities at risk.
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March 12th, 2011
View From The Hill: Marc Rhoades
NEWTON —We are a little over halfway through the 2011 legislative session. One topic of discussion this year may be less familiar to the general public; the subject is maintenance of effort (MOE), especially as it relates to special education funding.
MOE is a requirement for recipients of federal money to maintain a specified level of state and local funding in the preceding fiscal year in order to receive additional federal dollars.
Meeting MOE and receiving those federal dollars for special education has never been in question. It’s always been a given. The funding has not been in jeopardy.
The House, Senate and Governor always have presupposed MOE would be met. Any impression that failing to meet MOE has been up for discussion is either a simplistic assumption or a tactical non-starter; and yet, it makes for an easy storyline with more pot-stirring potential than the real story.
The real story is a tedious debate over when, how and how much. The difference between fiscal years 2009 and 2010 state and local funding, factored into a complicated funding formula, will determine what Kansas needs to do to meet MOE requirements.
IDEA Money Watch commends Mr. Rhoads for his efforts to set the record straight!
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January 27th, 2011
The Lawrence Journal World reports that the budget proposed by governor Sam Brownback, which includes a cut of $16.7 million in special education funding, could result in the state losing $70 million in federal funds. Brownback’s recommendations, contained in House Bill 2014, propose a cut in total state spending on schools of $132 million in the current school year, reducing base state aid per student from $4,012 to $3,937 ($75) per student.
As explained by Mike Mathes, president-elect of the Kansas School Superintendents Association and superintendent of the Seaman school district, “By not spending $16.7 million this year, we could be in the hole $70 million over the next two years.” The proposed cut would put the state below the federally mandated “maintenance of effort” level required for states to retain federal special education dollars. Mathes said that reduction in federal funds would mean that school districts would have to use their general fund dollars to make up for the shortfall in special education.
Asked if a looming federal penalty was a concern, Brownback’s policy director Landon Fulmer said it was but that the governor had to make tough decisions to balance the budget.
Source: Lawrence Journal World, 1/24/11, By Scott Rothschild
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November 4th, 2010
More than 60 school districts sue Kansas over budget cuts
By DAVID KLEPPER, JIM SULLINGER and DAWN BORMANN
The Kansas City Star
A coalition of 63 Kansas school districts sued the state Tuesday, alleging that cuts to education spending violate the state Constitution.
The lawsuit seeks to compel lawmakers to reverse budget cuts made in response to the economic downturn.
But it’s likely to be years before the case is settled. A previous school finance lawsuit touched off a bitter constitutional tug-of-war in 2005 that ended with legislators grudgingly adding nearly $1 billion in new school dollars.
The suit was filed in Shawnee County by the group Schools for Fair Funding. The Kansas City, Kan., school district is among four named plaintiffs in the suit, but the coalition also includes the Gardner-Edgerton, Basehor-Linwood, Bonner Springs and Turner districts.
The suit contends lawmakers cut more than $303 million from schools since the downturn began — even though lawmakers had previously agreed to increase funding.
Full article.
IDEA Money Watch comments: As we have previously reported, Kansas is one of a handful of states that requested a waiver from the US Dept. of Education allowing it to reduce its state financial support of special education. Details are here.
Tags: IDEA, Kansas, special education, students with disabilities
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October 8th, 2010
According to spending reports released by the U.S. Dept. of Education, Kansas has obligated 53% of its IDEA Part B Recovery funds, or $56,731,268 as of September 30, 2010. The national average is 50%. Spending details by local school district are available at EdMoney.org.
Latest spending reports are always available here. All IDEA Recovery Act funds must be obligated by September 30, 2011.
Tags: ARRA, IDEA, Kansas, Recovery Act, special education, Stimulus, students with disabilities
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June 3rd, 2010
Kansas, along with Iowa and South Carolina, has requested a waiver from the U.S. Department of Education USED) to reduce its financial support to local school districts in both FY10 and FY11. Using the IDEA provision allowing USED to grant waivers “due to exceptional or uncontrollable circumstances such as a natural disaster or a precipitous and unforeseen decline in the financial resources of the State.”
After some negotiations, the waiver has been approved by USED. All documents pertaining to the request are available here.
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April 9th, 2009
Kansas will receive $106,871,769 from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve services for its 56,104 school-aged students with disabilities.
We will report on how the local school districts are using these funds and how the academic achievement of students with disabilities is improving as a results.
Please share your comments and experiences.
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