Special ed programs lacking in funds

Danette Goulet

NEWPORT-MESA -- It was no surprise to learn that special education

programs are grossly underfunded, school district officials said,

following the release of a report by the Orange County Grand Jury.

The federal government has not kept its promise to fund 40% of the costs

for special education, the grand jury announced last week.

The findings were the result of a study examining government funding of

special education programs in the county. For the past 25 years, Orange

County school districts have lost out on more than $70 million each year,

according to the report. It went on to say that the continued lack of

federal funding is affecting a growing number of students and is dipping

into districts’ general funds more and more each year.

“To be perfectly frank, we have been aware of this for years and have

continued to work with the community advisory committee to work toward

[increasing awareness] on the state and federal levels,” said Susan

Despenas, assistant superintendent of elementary education for the

Newport-Mesa Unified School District.

The community advisory committee is a group of parents and educators who

serve as advisors to the district’s special education program. That group

has participated in an ongoing letter-writing campaign to government

officials throughout the school year, Despenas said.

The spending of the general fund is a problem that has been increasing in

the district for years, said Candy Barela, interim director of special

education for Newport-Mesa.

“An incredible amount every year is left unfunded,” Barela said. “We’re

having to encroach more and more and what that’s doing is taking money

away from general education programs.”

The reason funding costs have increased so dramatically, she said, is a

jump in the number of children who are diagnosed each year as having

special needs.

There are about 2,300 special education students currently enrolled in

Newport-Mesa schools.

“We have, for some reason, a growing population of students diagnosed

with autism that require more services and support than other special

education students,” Barela said.

The grand jury also found that while the Orange County Department of

Education and select school districts have lobbied the federal government

to increase funding, it has not been a countywide effort.

To address the issue in Orange County, the grand jury recommended that

every school district develop a plan to ensure that parents, staff and

community members are aware of the lack of federal money for special

education. Each community is encouraged to demand the promised funding.

Newport-Mesa has not yet created a special plan in response to the grand

jury’s mandate, but Barela has suggested a grass-roots campaign may be

the most effective.

“In my experience, the government tends to hear more from parents -- they

certainly tug at your heart strings,” she said. “So I think it certainly

needs to be a grass-roots effort.”