Local doctor, board member against mental health support in schools, saying, 'Teach them math, science and history, and what to do and how to think, not to be touchy-feely.'
By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board discussed special education funding at its meeting Monday night.
Gov. Kelly proposed increasing funding for special education over the next five years to meet the state's funding obligation, as required by state statute.
State law requires the state to fund 92% of the cost of special education not funded by the federal government. The state currently funds special education at about 65% of this amount.
The state statute has no enforcement mechanism, so the Legislature has failed to meet the obligation without formal consequences.
This means local school districts must use their general funds to pay for special education.
Gov. Kelly recommended a $72 million increase in special education funding. The House Education Budget Committee recommended a $30 million increase, but the House Appropriations Committee reduced the increase to $10 million.
"It does affect us greatly when we have to start pulling from our general fund," Hays Superintendent Ron Wilson said. "It naturally affects everything we do in this district.
"We are making it work because we are required to make it work."
Gifted students and students with disabilities are both required to have Individual Education Plans that meet federal standards, Kyle Carlin, special education co-op director, said. School districts are required to follow those IEPs.
The full House passed the budget bill to the Senate Wednesday.
Board member Ruth Ruder said when she asked Rep. Ken Rahjes, R-Agra, about the special education funding at a recent Legislative coffee in Hays, Rahjes said local school districts should increase their mill levies to cover the funding gaps.
"It's our job to make sure we get our funding," Ruder said. "It helps taxpayers because it's funding that's due us. They have to pay for it, but they don't."
Board member Derek Yarmer said he thought the local school district could operate more efficiently.
"We could cut the budget and work a little leaner," he said. "I feel like we are always adding stuff. We could take a look and actually cut back on stuff."
Ruder, a banker, said, "It is like you getting a loan from me. If you don't pay for your car, I'm going to take it. Why do we have to continually work for [the special education funding]? They are not meeting their obligation to do so."
Board President Curt Vajnar said, "They mandate it, and then they don't fund it. That's the problem."
Within the co-op, Carlin said he looks for efficiencies whenever a para leaves. However, the co-op is still obligated to provide for the needs of the students regardless of the state and federal funding available.
Most of the co-op's costs are in salaries and benefits for people. Carlin said it is challenging to find efficiencies in that.
Ruder said, "If you go back and read our board policy, our obligation is to the kids. I watch expenses, too. I do it in my business every day, but our obligation is to the kids."
Yarmer asked if students were meeting their education goals.
Kyle Carlin, co-op director, said students are meeting 95% of their IEP goals. He said if the students were meeting 100% of their goals, he would say the expectations of those students should be higher.
In the last five years, the district has seen math scores increase by 5% for special education students.
He said reading scores have been more stagnant. Although the district has seen students move from level one to two, many are still not reaching grade level.
The local special education co-op serves 1,050 students in the Hays, Ellis, Victoria, LaCrosse and Russell school districts. This includes students in the Catholic schools in those districts and the Camber youth mental health facility in Hays.
Carlin said that based on the amount of funding the Legislature is considering, not only would the funding gap not be closed, but the amount of general fund spending for the districts in the co-op is likely to increase.
Yarmer asked how the district would spend the extra funding.
Wilson said it's difficult to prove a negative.
Chris Hipp, assistant superintendent of business services, said he makes those cuts throughout the year as he works to build the budget.
Yarmer said, "Do we really need those things?"
Board member Meagan Zampeiri Lillpop said, "Teachers are asking for things to do their jobs, and we can't say yes because it costs too much. That's incredibly disheartening for everyone. It keeps them from getting better and better. It keeps the staff at a lower level and, in turn, the students at a lower level."
"It's a compounding austerity that's not necessary. We've had a surplus in the state over and over again," she said.
Yarmer said, "Just because someone asks for things doesn't make them a need. There are minimal standards and criteria."
He added, "I don't think money is the problem of the education system. I think we need to be better at doing what we do."
He pointed to $1.7 million in allocations in bond and capital outlay funds that were ultimately approved at Monday night's meeting. Yarmer voted against all but one of those five items.
"If we have money for that, I'm hard-pressed to tell people we're destitute," Yarmer said.
Yarmer called the new Hays High School a Taj Mahal.
He was reminded that capital outlay and bond funds can't be used for salaries, benefits or classroom expenses.
Yarmer said he would like to see the capital outlay mill levy decreased and the local option budget, also known as the LOB, mill levy increased.
Board member Jayme Goetz, who is a former district teacher, said education is more than math, social studies and science. She said it is also personal fitness, personal wellness and mental health.
Yarmer, a local doctor, said, "As far as I'm concerned, social-emotional stuff has been out for 12 years, and there's more on mental health services inside the school and outside of the school. What are we gaining? What have we actually done as far as trying to teach these kids to be good people?
"Let the parents and stuff do that, and let's educate them to be smart individuals and learn how to deal with life on their own instead of all these stupid surveys and stuff that we do.
"Teach them math, science and history, and what to do and how to think, not to be touchy-feely."