Iowa

In a letter dated June 21, 2011, the U.S. Dept. of Education informed the Iowa Dept. of Education that it would not grant its request for a waiver to reduce state financial aid to local districts for special education in FY 2011 in the amount of $4.1 million. In addition, the state asked for a waiver to make an additional reduction in FY 2010 of $1.4 million. The state was previously granted a waiver for FY 2010 for a reduction of $38.1 million.

According to the letter, unless Iowa provides confirmation that it will make available the amounts requested above, the USED will reduce its federal support to Iowa by the same amount – $5.5 million.

Lastly, the USED reminds Iowa that it must maintain its previous (pre-2009 waiver) level of financial support to district in  FY 2012 — for a total of $525.6 million.

The response letter is available here.

IDEA Money Watch has obtained the information submitted by the Iowa Dept. of Education to the U.S. Dept. of Education regarding reductions to local spending (maintenance of effort or MOE) and use of federal IDEA funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services (CEIS) for each school district for the 2009 fiscal year. Get Iowa information here.

Of the 368 districts in Iowa, 356 were eligible to take a reduction in local spending of up to 50% of the increase in federal funds received in 2009 (annual funds plus IDEA Recovery Act funds). Of the eligible districts, 273 took a reduction to local funds, or 77%. All but 21 districts took the total amount allowable. The reductions taken by these districts total $52,233,047.

Thirteen districts used federal IDEA funds for Coordinated Early Intervening Services. Of these, seven districts were required to use funds for CEIS due to a finding of inappropriate disproportionality in the 2009-2010 school year. The total funds  spent on CEIS by the thirteen districts was $2,738717.

This information is important because it indicates if school districts reduced local spending in light of IDEA Recovery Act funds in FY 2009. IDEA does not require that local districts replace these funds when the Recovery funds run out, putting services for students with disabilities at risk.

The Iowa Dept. of Education has requested and received a waiver to reduce state support of special education, as allowable under the IDEA.

The request allows Iowa to reduce its state aid to local districts in support of the excess costs of special education by $38,102,897 for FY 2010, which represents a 7.25 percent decrease in State financial support for special education from FY 2009 to FY 2010.

The waiver request was submitted on January 26, 2010 and granted by U.S. Dept. of Education on April 29, 2010.

The request, additional correspondence and US ED letter granting the request are available here. (PDF, 17 pgs)

Des Moines Register :: April 8, 2010
Full article here.

West Des Moines school officials on Monday presented a budget reduction plan that would mean more students in classes from elementary school to high school science and foreign language, along with cuts to special education services.

About 150 community members, parents and teachers attended a school board workshop to learn more about district administrators’ proposal to cut $1 million from the district’s budget.

The reduction plan includes eliminating 13 full-time equivalent special education teaching positions, along with 45 special education assistant positions. The reduction of assistants would mean that some special education students would no longer have an individual employee to take them to class and be with them throughout the day, said Angie Calhoun, the district’s director of special education.

The cuts to special education could save about $1.6 million; however, the district’s special education fund has a deficit of $2.9 million. The shortfall is made up through the district’s general fund, which is what school officials use to pay for everyday expenses and teachers’ salaries. Full article here.

IDEA MONEY WATCH RESPONDS: We can’t help but wonder what the WDM district has done with all of its IDEA Recovery Act funds – roughly $2.4 million.

Iowa will receive $122,095,134 to improve services for special education students from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

According to the Quad-City Times, little of the Recovery Act (Stimulus) funds have been spent to date. Read the story here.