Weekly Update 1/22/10
by Lynn Ahrens
January 22, 2010
Good Afternoon:
We have vacancies:
Speech/Language Pathologist 1.5 FTE I have an application for the 1.0 FTE. I'm trying to get in touch with her for an interview.
Gifted facilitator for Barber County 1 FTE
Our Community Forum in Barber County brought forth some interesting comments and concerns. The first was the one Ryan and I expected.
What about our contracts?
You are on continuing contracts per Kansas law. Your contract will remain the same contract until whenever. The next step is fact finding.
What did the board not like?
I can't answer that. All discussion took place in executive session.
Ryan and I discussed some of the legislative action and inaction that has been going on. Each of you need to write your legislators and scream about the continual cutting of education funds. Parents need to write. It's going to get really bad if some money is not raised. The Governor's proposal for a 1 cent sales tax for 36 months and increase in tobacco product tax would bring in enough money to raise the per pupil budget by $50 for next year. If this doesn't happen, we will lose $286 per student for general education. There is a bill introduced that says no school district can be smaller than 10,000 students. Well, western Kansas will be one school district. The chances of it even seeing daylight is remote to none. This type of bill is introduced periodically.
I want to share with you some of the financial issues we are facing. This is not to scare anyone. I just want you to understand what is coming down the pike for special education. We hear about general education all the time but not special education.
Medicaid has been cut as of Jan. 1, 2010 by 10%.
Our state reimbursement for Medicaid for going from bundled rates to fee for service ends this year. We expect to get about $179,000 this year. This is the last time we will get this.
After next year, we lose the ARRA money of 3/4 of a million dollars. The state back filled the state's share of spending for categorical aid this year.
Our categorical aid dropped from $29,000 (approx.) to $23,000 per person this year. If catastrophic aid is not modified, Dale Dennis said that the categorical aid would drop even more to $20,096 this year. We never know until the end of the year how much money we are going to get until the end of the year. Our money is in a large pot. Transportation and catastrophic aid is paid first. The rest is divided among the special education entities for teachers and paras.
The federal government has never funded special education to the 40% promised. If they did, it would make a huge difference. The bill in the federal legislature now is for no additional funding for special education. They fund us at about 17%.
District shares cannot be raised. The districts do not have the money to fund their own programs let alone a increase in their shares for us.
It's been a busy filled with watching some amazing students respond to our amazing staff. I have been so impressed with what you do with students that need our help. We have such a tremendous task and you respond to that tremendous task daily. Thank-you!
