Small school districts find special ed 'safety net' can be tangled web
LAKE STEVENS — A single typo on an application for special education funding can cost the Lake Stevens School District thousands of dollars.
Last year, Lake Stevens lost out on about $140,000 of “safety net” refunds because of “fiscal adjustments,” largely due to paperwork errors. This year, district staff will dedicate more time and resources to document their costs in hopes of boosting safety net earnings by a half-million dollars.
“We have never chased the dollar as much as we are now,” Assistant Superintendent of Business and Operations Teresa Main told the school board in July.
The chase highlights a “massive inequity” in the safety net system, said Mari Taylor, school board president. Smaller school districts can’t afford dedicated staff to file the reimbursement paperwork, leaving them at a disadvantage to get state funding.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/small-school-districts-find-special-ed-safety-net-can-be-tangled-web/