Newport-Mesa’s special education funding rising

Marisa O’Neil

State and federal funding has not kept pace with rising numbers of

special education students and the costs associated with caring for

them, a state consultant told school board officials Tuesday.

As a result, special education budgets eat into general education

money, explained Paul Goldfinger, vice president of the Sacramento

consulting firm School Services of California. Goldfinger spoke at a

special study session the Newport-Mesa Unified School District Board

of Trustees held to learn more about special education issues.

“The growth in percentage and growth in the high cost to educate

these pupils combine to make a statewide average of a 25% gap between

revenues and total costs,” Goldfinger said.

While federal funds for special education have remained constant,

state funding has dropped and costs have risen, Supt. Robert Barbot

said. In Newport-Mesa schools, he estimated the difference at about

$11 million a year, depending on the numbers and needs of the

students.

“We don’t want contention between special ed and general ed

parents or the district,” Barbot said after the meeting. “We’re

talking about kids, here. We have an obligation to do what we can to

help them live happy, productive lives.”

Examining teachers’ case loads, limiting the number of services

contracted to outside agencies and using interested parents to help

design programs can help keep costs down, Goldfinger suggested.

Parents in suburban, coastal areas tend to be educated and

informed about special education issues, and can help serve as

advocates, he said.

Evaluating students and placing them in “appropriate” programs,

even if parents would prefer for their children to be in other ones,

such as ones at private schools, can also cut down on costs,

Goldfinger said.

After the meeting, Gary Monahan, Costa Mesa’s mayor and chairman

of the district’s Special Education Community Advisory Committee,

said he disagreed with that assessment.

“The word ‘appropriate’ is subjective,” said Monahan, parent to an

autistic child. “It’s not that simple. What a parent thinks and what

the district thinks is appropriate may not be the same thing.”

Though much of the meeting addressed complicated budget issues, a

few parents showed up and stayed until the end. Board member Dana

Black said she encourages parents to learn about funding issues to

help them understand the big picture in the district.

“This clarified for me the budget constraints in the district,”

said Harbor Council PTA Special Education Liaison Kathy Koenig. “I

had no idea and I’m the mother of a special ed student who’s been

through the system.”