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Sunapee, N.H., Schools Cut Special Education Position

Posted on: Wednesday, 21 December 2005, 00:00 CST

By Rebecca Miller, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

Dec. 20--SUNAPEE -- A decision to cut a special education position in Sunapee School District is one of necessity, according to SAU 43 Superintendent Bill Mealey.

With the approval of a $8,053,295 2006-2007 budget proposal last week, the school board agreed to eliminate one special education position in the district. There are currently seven special education teachers.

The budget proposal is more than a 6 percent increase over last year's budget. The approved budget features more than 2 percent in cuts from the initial draft presented on Nov. 30.

A number of special education staff attended last week's meeting. Although Mealey acknowledged that special education instructors are not happy, he said the decision came down to budget goals.

"It's a budget decision, period. That's all it is," he said Monday. "We didn't even reach the numbers that the (budget advisory committee) and the board were looking for." The cut would potentially save the district about $66,000. The special education budget proposal totals $1,601,312. According to SAU 43 business administrator Steve Bartlett, the cut is just under 1 percent of the total general fund balance.

Mealey told the board in previous meetings that the suggestion was put on the table because of Sunapee's low student-teacher ratios. In the middle high school, the ratio is 13.5 students to one teacher. The district projects 54 special education students in the middle-high school for next year. At the elementary level, the ratio is six to one, with 12 students projected for next year.

Special education is an unpredictable area, according to Mealey. Although 66 students have been identified for the special education program next year, Mealey said there is always the potential that new families would move into the district and bring more children with special needs.

"What are the chances that it would happen? Don't know," he said.

If that did occur, Mealey said the district would have to reallocate funds and consider adding a similar position back or increasing paraprofessional staff.

Quoting data from a 2003 Southeastern Regional Education Service Center study of the special education programs in the SAU, Mealey said Sunapee's caseloads are light compared to a statewide assessment.

"It was the caseload ratios. We needed to make a very heavy cut and that included personnel," Mealey said.

Thirty-four year veteran Betty May Graham has been a high school special education teacher for six years at Sunapee Middle High School. Although she declined to comment on the board's decision, she said Sunapee has a quality program compared to other schools where she has worked.

"I feel like we deliver really good services to our students and have a really fine special education department," she said Monday.

Sunapee Central Elementary School principal Karen Switzer declined to comment on the cut on Monday. When the proposal was first presented at the Nov. 30 school board meeting, administration had suggested cutting one of the elementary positions.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Eagle Times, Claremont, N.H.

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Source: Eagle Times, Claremont, New Hampshire

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