District 158 special ed controversy explained

I want to take a few moments to address the special education controversy in Huntley Unit District 158.

I fear the general public, which lacks intimate knowledge of the acronyms and figures bandied about, may not understand the issue.

The essence of the issue is this: District 158 administrators believe the district will be eligible to receive $1.6 million in federal stimulus funds. The controversy revolves around how to spend that money.

From the start, parents of special-needs students have asked the district to spend the full amount on special education. They believe the money is specifically earmarked for special education - and it is.

The funds come through a grant tied to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. All of the money must be spent on special education.

But here's the twist: half of the money can be spent on existing special education initiatives. Imagine you pay $50 for the electric bill each month. Your parents give you $50 to cover your bill. Whether you use your parents' money to pay the bill or continue to use your own money, you end up with an extra $50 in you wallet.

The same thing would happen to District 158 if it spent any of the federal stimulus money on existing programs. In a sense, District 158 would be spending that money outside special education.

This is where the dispute arises. Parents of special-needs kids want the district to spend all of the money on new special education initiatives. Until recently, district administrators, citing tough economic times, recommended spending exactly half on new initiatives and half on existing programs.

But the administration has changed its recommendation. The district recently learned the state will boost funding to schools this year, resulting in a projected surplus in District 158. Spurred in part by that news, district officials now say the board should spend the full amount on new programs.

Under the administration's plan, the district would spend half of the stimulus money on new special education initiatives this year and half on new programs next year.

But here's the catch: the second year of spending, about $800,000, would go toward new special education initiatives only if the rest of the district's budget is in sound shape.

That caveat is one source of the ongoing dispute between parents and district officials. Parents are also awaiting a revised list of projects on which the stimulus funds will be spent in year one.

Perhaps a deeper, more serious concern parents have is that the district is not currently fulfilling its state-mandated obligation to students with special needs. A parent at a recent board meeting said if these issues are not resolved soon, parents may seek legal action.

Lawsuits are not uncommon in special education. But costly litigation is the last thing the district needs in this economic climate. District officials and parents need to work together to ensure the legitimate needs of a minority don't endanger the interests of the entire district.