The state is not keeping up with its obligation to pay special ed costs, and districts are having to pay those costs out of their general funds. This is another example of why “overall funding is up” is not an adequate response. “Chanute resident Chad Small stood up and said that he was the father of three children, one of whom has special needs. He told the governor that while funding for special education PROGRAMS hasn’t been cut in the last four years, it has still not kept up with rising costs.
“‘State statue says that your office and the state of Kansas is responsible for 92 percent of the overage for special needs students over the cost of a typically-developing student would be,’ Small said. ‘Currently, your administration is sitting at 79 percent, so, you’re 13 percent below this state statute.’
“Small said that not only does this affect his child with special needs in trying to get a proper education, but it also affects his other two children. He said that the local school district is currently being held responsible for $1.3 million to cover these special education overages that aren’t coming from the state.”…

“[Brownback’s] response prompted Small to say that all the governor would have to do about this particular issue is follow the state statute.
‘What’s happened is you’re taking off the backside,’ Small said. ‘I understand you’re increasing the money for schools from the state, but they’re having to pay out of the back pocket. They’re having to cover special education, because that special education funding isn’t coming from the state.’
“Brownback said that money that his administration put in for equalization [which they only did after being ordered to do so by the Kansas Supreme Court] would go into this back pocket.
Small then said he just wanted to make everyone in the community is aware of the situation.
“’It’s not all gravy here, folks,’ Small said.
“He also accused the governor of not actually answering his question.
Nikki Jacobs, who has a daughter with autism and who started the local Autism Hope for Families support group, stood up to thank the governor for signing an insurance bill to help families that are dealing with autism-related issues.
“’But I’m also with Chad,’ Jacobs said. ‘Early intervention for these kiddoes is the best thing we can do for them. It costs us more money statewide to put them in a state hospital because they cannot take care of themselves as adults than it will to educate them now.’
She said her own daughter is going to require a one-on-one PARA when she enters school, and that training these individuals that work with these children requires funding.” http://www.chanute.com/news/article_71da51bc-5e25-11e4-a733-001a4bcf6878.html