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.

-Chase County school district spent $657,000 last year on special education; they had to transfer $220,000 to cover the state shortfall for special education.

-McPherson school district spent $5.2 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $2.4 million to cover the state shortfall for special education.

-Marion County school district spent $563,000 last year on special education; they had to transfer $223,000 to cover the state shortfall for special education.

-Smoky Valley school district spent $1.7 million last year on special education; they had to transfer $836,000 to cover the state shortfall for special education.