Rev. James Meeks. Governor Rauner’s pick as ISBE Chairman and charter school advocate.
-Bev Johns
The Illinois State Board of Education Wednesday unanimously moved to change the way the state sends special education money to school districts, aiming to increase base funding to poor districts with the resources that are currently available.
ISBE is proposing to take an entire $300 million special education line item, Funding for Children Requiring Special Education Services, and distribute it thru the General State Aid formulas.
This means all schools will lose special ed funding while some schools gain significant General State Aid funding.
According to the AP, this would increase the amount of general state aid per student, with districts left on their own to determine how much should be apportioned to each student for special education services.
Remember under General State Aid, some schools receive flat grants of less than $300 per student, while others receive over $4,000 per student.
But ISBE also proposes to provide Charters Schools with $300,000 for a NEW line item: State Charter School Funding for Children with Disabilities.
The proposed ISBE budget gives this justification:
Of course this new funding is only for the lost funding for charter schools, and NO provision is made for any regular public school that loses money.
Also ISBE is recommending less than full funding for Special Education Private Tuition, that any increase be limited to the minimum amount needed to meet the Federal Maintenance of Effort (MOE) requirements of the Federal Individuals with Disabilities Act (IDEA).
ISBE also wants general statutory language to direct ISBE to calculate each district’s prorate share of the amount needed from the total net General state aid funding to be utilized for the provision of special education services in a manner that ensures compliance with the IDEA MOE requirement.
One Board member of ISBE who was critical feared that there would be little to no monitoring of districts in terms of Maintenance Of Effort so each local school district does not spend less money on special education next school year as compared to this school year.
This is just round one that will now go to the Illinois GeneralAssembly that is still considering whether it will change all of school funding. The proposal that originally passed in the State Senate would have taken away huge amounts of money from special education, and the latest Senate bill would abolish all school funding formulas in June of 2017 (hoping that new ones would be agreed to by then, or if not, all the money might be given to ISBE to distribute, according to the spokesperson for Senate President Cullerton).
Fred Klonsky 
What percentage of disabled students attend charters?
0. They don’t take students with special needs.
Not true. I’ve had SEVERAL of my special needs students attend Chicago charter schools and it was a MESS!!!! They didn’t get what they needed, nor deserved!
They do take them …some choose not to but most take some
Well, on the surface that sounds like a good idea. However in what schools will special ed kids become educated? Mary richie
I fail to see the surface “good idea.” Charter schools, that tend to educate fewer special ed students and the easiest, will receive more money for them? Unless the charter is specifically designed to serve a special ed population, schools are not willingly going to accept more difficult to serve children especially if they rely on test scores to prove their worth. Public schools have to take these children no matter what whether the states new funding will increase or decrease their funding. Is their a silver lining I am not seeing?
You are absolutely correct. These politicians and their trickery always finding ways to find their agendas under the guise of “helping” more people.
As to your last sentence, 2 old…NO.
More like a gold (a$ in ka-ching!) rush for charter School$.
I just read the speaker of the house cancelled the Illinois house
secession until January 27th .I hope that does not nail shut
coffin lid on CPS.
Between the Governor, the Mayor, and Rev. Meeks my inner city kids don’t have a chance!
You’re right…they almost don’t! Smdh
It is a sad truth. Savage Inequality in Illinois
This is not the moment to be cutting or experimenting with Illinois’ special needs students. Between the Chicago street violence issues and the world situation, more services are needed, especially supports and therapy for kids who are vulnerable. Prevention in public schools, like wrap-around services, need to be strengthened and restored. My concern is that money sent to charters often is later discovered to be have been problematic.
Parents should be in an uproar about this. Many have so much to say about how teachers are paid, and how we don’t have the best interest of children in mind (even though we’re in the trenches everyday). Speak up now, nobody has anything to say, about overcrowded classrooms, special education, and counseling services being demolished, unless we talk about striking, and they have to care for thier own children. School is not a babysitting service, a sports training camp, or a food service facility. School;however, is a place to learn. Learning is not most effective when student needs are not met, services are being cut, and funding is disproportionate. Now is the time to speak.
PLEASE RESPOND. What will this change mean for SPED TEACHERS, LBS I, LBS II, S.E.C.A.s???