Tuesday, January 16, 2001
The University Daily Kansan
Section A · Page 7
For comments, contact J. R. Mendoza at 864-4810 or editor@kansan.com
Graves proposes extra aid for special education costs
The Associated Press
TOPEKA — Alex sits in front of his computer and works on his communication skills. His eyes are bright, and he smiles frequently.
"I'm going to school," he says.
"I'm going to school," he says.
Alex is in a wheelchair, and the computer is attached to it. His voice comes from a Dynavox.
Paying for programs for Alex and other special education students is one of the biggest budget issues the state and its 304 school districts face each year. For years, schools have complained that the state doesn't provide enough money.
Gov. Bill Graves told legislators in his State of the State address that he wanted the state to pay all the extra costs associated with
Graves: wants state to pay extra costs of special education
special education programs. He didn't spell out where the state would get the money, an extra $50 million by some estimates.
The budget he submitted is less ambitious than his rhetoric.
Currently, the state funds 85 percent of the excess costs associated with providing special education. Graves' proposed budget for the state's 2002 fiscal year, which begins July 1, would add $14 million in state and $12 million in federal funds.
Costs increase every year, and that extra $26 million in Graves' budget proposal would allow the
state to cover 85.3 percent of special education costs.
state to cover 85.3 percent or special education costs. It's no wonder that legislative leaders like House Speaker Kent Glasscock are looking to President-elect Bush's new administration for more help.
Under a 1975 act mandating special education, federal funding was supposed to pay 40 percent of costs. The actual amount frequently has been closer to 10 percent.
Glasscock, R-Manhattan, said full funding could mean $150 million for Kansas.
"Fulfillment of promises is always good public policy." he said.
In his budget, Graves has recommended a change in how special education funds are distributed. He proposed basing funding on the number of students, ending a policy of basing it on the number of teachers.
Ben Gaut, director of special services for Topeka schools, said districts must provide services whenever students arrived because of the federal mandate. This school year, the state will pay $20,300 per teacher.
"There are no more dollars in the pot. The only variable is the number of teachers," Gaut said.
Students like Alex can require additional paraprofessionals, medical equipment and even a nurse. A Dynavox, an advanced communications device, can cost as much as $10,000, said Bob Wittman, Topeka's director of K-12 special education.
"Parents see those kinds of devices and wonder why their children can't have them," Wittman said. "They don't realize how expensive they are."
By comparison, base state aid per pupil is $3,820, or a little more than a third of the cost of a Dynavax.
130-year-old church closes doors
The Associated Press
LYNDON — A church congregation faced with shrinking numbers and aging members closed its doors — as have many other rural churches in recent years. The 130-year-old First United Presbyterian Church had less than 30 members when they met for the last time in December. The youngest among them were in their 60s.
"I sure hate it, but I just don't know what to do about it now," said former member Virgie Sims, 94, who began attending the church when she was 19. "I just went by there a little while ago, and it looked kind of lonesome." Arlo Bell, a 40-year member and leader at the church, said the congregation had made every effort to boost its membership,
but to no avail.
but to no avail.
"We would go out and visit the unchurched people in the community, who would faithfully promise they would come and then never show up." Bell said.
"We sent out the newsletter to try to get the members who had fallen through the cracks to come, but that didn't seem to work."
At its height, the church had about 150 members, he said, but that was more than 20 years ago, when it could afford a full-time pastor. Since then, the church has hired part-time pastors to lead services on Sundays and fill a few other basic functions.
"We did all we could over the years, and we kept it alive as long as humanly possible," he said.
The 1,000-population Lyndon town simply wasn't big enough to support First United
Presbyterian and the six other churches in and around Lyndon, Bell said.
Joe Hendrixson, executive director of Kansas Ecumenical Ministries in Topeka, said the Lyndon church's troubles aren't uncommon.
"The other denominations really all are facing the same kind of problem ... where the populations decline, children grow up and leave town." Hendrixson said.
He said churches were finding ways to cut costs, such as uniting or sharing a pastor. But the trend of rural churches closing is likely to continue, he said.
"The real problem overall is the decline of rural communities," Hendrixson said. "Until we can learn to preserve the communities as a whole, the churches are going to suffer."
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