• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Districts Take Over Special Ed Programs: Schools Replace County Control Saturday

Posted on: Sunday, 25 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

By Alice L. Chang, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Jun. 25--Western Racine County school district leaders say they expect a smooth transition when special education programs shift from county oversight to district supervision starting Saturday.

The 11 school districts have been working on the transition for three years since the Racine County Board voted for the change.

Individual school districts are now in charge of everything from creating budgets to hiring employees.

The Burlington Area School District formed its own special education program, and the five Waterford-area school districts and five Union Grove-area districts each formed their own consortiums to share resources.

Norway district administrator Jeff Gorn said that the district's special education services will improve because they will have better access to specialists like social workers, whom they previously had to share with more districts.

While most residents will see a lower county tax bill, Gorn said, school-related property taxes in his elementary district will probably increase by a bit more than the county tax decrease because residents will have to pay for county special education employee retirement benefits and high school special education costs.

"I'm worried about the tax situation," Gorn said.

He added that the district has prepared for the increase by setting the tax rate lower over the last two years. He expected the special education program cost to be the highest in 2006-'07 because the district will not receive categorical aid for special education. Gorn is hoping to trim the tax bill by not taxing for debt service, but just for operational costs and special education.

"My number one goal is to keep taxes as low as possible," Gorn said.

He added that another drawback is that his district will have to pay $28,000 for early childhood programs even though they don't have any students enrolled this year.

"When we had county (oversight) it was OK if I didn't have anyone because we paid on a per-pupil basis," Gorn said.

Waterford Union High School superintendent Keith Brandstetter said his district is ready for the change, although he expects to encounter some unforeseen issues.

"Anytime you take a project of this magnitude on, there's always going to be something overlooked," Brandstetter said.

He highlighted a new transitional program starting in the fall for 18- to 21-year-olds with special needs. The district previously kept those people in high school, but now the district is starting a community-oriented program to teach life and job skills. Thirteen people are expected to start the program this fall.

Maggie Kumbier, who has a son in special education at Waterford Union High School, said the handover has been seamless and she is especially pleased with the new transitional program for older teenagers.

"As a taxpayer I'm glad to see all the money is going to be held with one administration than the county," Kumbier said. "Now individual districts are responsible."

Yorkville School administrator Dave Alexander said his district has put all the major components of the program into place, including budget, personnel and transportation arrangements. The only thing they, like all the other districts, are waiting on is the tax rate.

Those numbers will come in the fall after the state has decided how much aid it will contribute and property assessments are complete, Alexander said.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Source: The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

More News in this Category