The Legislature’s own research department said that in the current fiscal year, schools are being shorted $173 million from covering the 92% of statewide excess costs as the law calls for. SPED services are mandatory, and the federal government and Kansas legislature need to fund it. Underfunding SPED hurts all students.

-Blue Valley districts spent $57 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $15 million dollars to cover the state shortfall

-Shawnee Mission district spent $53 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $19 million to cover the state short fall

-De Soto district spent $14.5 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $6.3 million to cover the state short fall

-Gardner Edgerton district spent $16.6 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $6.4 million to cover the state short fall

-Piper district spent $4.1 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $1.1 million to cover the state short fall