SPARKED QUESTIONS SO WE ASKED
ZAC TO ANSWER SOME OF THEM AND
SPOKE WITH HIM BEFORE THE
HOLIDAY.
HEY, ZAC, WHAT AN INTERESTING
STORY.
THANKS FOR THAT.
>> THANK YOU, FRED.
>> SO STAR ACADEMY SOUNDS REALLY
GREAT, BUT THE SITUATION WITH
SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN WISCONSIN,
WHAT KIND OF A VALUES CHOICE IS
THIS TO UNDERFUND IT TO THIS
EXTENT YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR
GENERATIONS OF STUDENTS?
>> WELL, THE QUESTION COMES DOWN
TO WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT?
THE LEGISLATURE'S POINT OF VIEW,
THEY ARE PUTTING FUNDING INTO
IT, AND THEN THE LAW SAYS IT'S
UP TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE IT WORK,
AND THEY HAVE OPTIONS AT THEIR
DISPOSAL, BUT YOU NEVER SEE A
REFERENDUM FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
IN ANY DISTRICT I'VE SEEN IN
WISCONSIN, AND SO THEIR CHOICES
ARE MADE ON THE GROUND ABOUT
WHAT THEY CAN DO BEST FOR THEIR
STUDENTS, AND THERE ARE SOME
DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN SUED
BECAUSE PEOPLE, THE PARENTS AND
LAWYERS SAY THEY ARE NOT DOING
ENOUGH, AND OTHER DISTRICTS GO
AS FAR AS THEY POSSIBLY CAN, BUT
MOST ARE CAUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF
MAKING THE BEST CHOICE FOR ALL
STUDENTS.
>> HOW DID WISCONSIN GET TO THE
PLACE WHERE IT MANDATES THE
SERVICES, BUT ONLY PAYS FOR HALF
OF IT, INCLUDING THE FEDERAL
FUNDING?
>> WELL, I MEAN, THE CLASSIC
PHRASE OF THE UNFUNDED MANDATE
IS IN PLACE HERE, AND SOME OF
THIS GOES BACK ALMOST A HALF
CENTURY TO WHEN THE FIRST LAWS
WERE PUT IN PLACE THAT CREATED
THE RIGHT FOR THESE SERVICES TO
BE PROVIDED FOR SPECIAL
EDUCATION STUDENTS.
ACCORDING TO BACK THEN, THE
ESTIMATES WERE HALF OF ALL
STUDENTS THAT WOULD BE ABLE TO
RECEIVE THESE SERVICES NEVER
CAME INTO SCHOOLS IN THE FIRST
PLACE, AND SO WHEN THEY MADE
EARLY PROJECTIONS ABOUT WHAT
PERCENT AND WHAT THE DOLLAR
FIGURES WOULD LOOK LIKE, THEY
WERE WRONG BECAUSE IT TURNED OUT
TO BE A LOT MORE THAN HALF OF
THOSE STUDENTS NEVER CAME TO THE
SCHOOLS, AND WHEN PARENTS FOUND
OUT THEIR STUDENTS HAD A RIGHT
TO COME TO SCHOOL AND RIGHT TO
SERVICES, MORE OF THEM SHOWED UP
THAN THEY PREPARED FOR, AND THAT
MEANT THEY DID NOT INCREASE THE
DOLLARS, SO THE PERCENTAGE SLID
DOWN TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT, AND
THEY NEVER MADE IT UP IN THE
MEANTIME.
>> SO IF SCHOOLS HAVE TO ROB
PETER TO PAY PAUL, TAKE FROM
GENERAL EDUCATION, IF THEY WANT
TO MAKE UP FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
FUNDING, WHO GETS THE SHORT END
HERE?
BOTH?
>> YEAH.
JUST DEPENDS ON THE INDIVIDUAL
DISTRICT.
I MEAN, IN SOME CASES, THE
PARENTS AND THE STUDENTS,
THEMSELF, MAY NOT KNOW THE FULL
EXTENT OF WHAT THEY ARE ELIGIBLE
TO RECEIVE.
THEY WORK WITH THE DISTRICT.
THEY COME UP WITH THEIR IEP, THE
INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PLAN,
AND IT TELLS THEM WHAT SERVICES
THAT THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO
RECEIVE AND THE DISTRICT DOES
THEIR BEST TO PROVIDE THEM, AND
THERE'S A QUESTION OF, SHOULD
THEY DO MORE?
COULD THEY DO MORE?
SOME PARENTS KNOW THEIR RIGHTS
AND WILL ASSERTIVELY FIGHT FOR
THEIR CHILDREN TO GET MORE
SERVICES, AND SOMETIMES TO THE
SHIGRIN OF THE SCHOOL PAYING FOR
IT, AND OTHER TIMES IT'S
STUDENTS AND PARENTS SAYING,
THIS IS BEST WE HAVE AND THEY
ACCEPT.
>> ANY EXPECTATION AT ALL GIVEN
THE CURRENT POLITICAL SPLIT
ANYTHING CHANGES TO MAKE SPECIAL
EDUCATION FUNDING WHOLE?
>> WELL, IF THERE WAS A TIME IN
OUR STATE'S HISTORY THAT WE HAVE
THE MONEY TO MAKE THE JUMP IN
SERVICES, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN IN
THE LAST BUDGET, AND IT DID NOT
HAPPEN.
I MEAN, WE SAW $2 BILLION IN TAX
CUTS.
WE ARE SITTING ON NEARLY
$2 BILLION IN A SURPLUS FOR THE
STATE.
THERE'S A LARGE RAINY DAY FUND,
AND IT JUST DIDN'T HAPPEN.
THERE WAS NO POLITICAL WILL TO
SEE A DRAMATIC INCREASE.
EVEN GOVERNOR EVERS INCREASE
THAT HE PROPOSED ONLY WOULD HAVE
BROUGHT IT UP TO 50% FUNDING AND
NOT REACH THE ORIGINAL AMOUNT
THE STATE PROMISED WHEN THEY
CREATED THE LAW IN THE FIRST
PLACE, AND ADVOCATES SAY, WELL,
THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD
STEP, BUT IT WOULDN'T BE THE
FULL AMOUNT REACHED, AND THERE
WAS NOT THE POLITICAL WILL TO DO
THAT.
IT HAPPENS TO BE WITH THE
INDIVIDUAL DISTRICTS WHETHER THE
POLITICAL POWER IS THERE TO FIND
SUPPORT FOR THAT, AND WE SAW IN
THIS DISTRICT, THERE WAS MONEY
SET ASIDE, BUT THAT'S NOT ENOUGH
TO COMPENSATE FOR WHAT THEY HAVE
TO FUNDRAISE PRIVATELY.
>> A QUICK LAST QUESTION, DO
URBAN DISTRICTS FARE BETTER IN
THIS THAN RURAL ONES?
>> IF THERE'S MORE MONEY COMING
IN, THERE'S MORE MONEY TO PAY
FOR THE OVERHEAD,
ADMINISTRATORS, SPECIALISTS, AND
IN THEORY, MORE MONEY FLOWS DOWN
FOR PEOPLE PROVIDING THE
SERVICES.
RURAL DISTRICTS STRUGGLE MORE
WITH PROVIDING OVERHEAD COSTS
AND HAVING LEFT OVER MONEY TO
PROVIDE SERVICES NEEDED.
>> WOW.
ZAC SCHULTZ, THANK YOU VERY MUCH
FOR THE REPORTING.
>> THANKS, FRED.