Access Living report analyzing the FY 2014 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Special Education Budget

as shared from our colleagues at Access Living of Chicago...

Dear Access Living friends and allies,   Every summer for the last several years, Access Living’s Education Policy Analyst, Rod Estvan, has reviewed the Chicago Public Schools (CPS) budget for its impact on students with disabilities. This morning, Rod will present highlights from his analysis of the 2014 CPS budget before the CPS Board.  Access Living has grave concerns about the impact of the proposed CPS budget this year; in particular, the new student based budgeting formula treats students with disabilities as less than equal to students without disabilities.   The report is now posted online at http://www.accessliving.org/index.php?tray=content&tid=118gatop15&cid=118ga403.   The Chicago Sun-Times has published a story on the report at:http://www.suntimes.com/news/education/22189262-761/cps-budget-cheats-kids-with-severe-disabilities-advocacy-group-says.html.   Catalyst included a section covering Rod’s analysis in this story: http://www.catalyst-chicago.org/news/2013/08/27/51758/record-are-charter-schools-and-district-run-schools-treated-equally.   Below my signature is Access Living’s press release on the report.   Amber Smock Director of Advocacy, Access Living ###   Budget analysis calls for change to Student Based Budgeting and Corralling   August 28, 2013   Chicago – On August 28, Access Living released a report analyzing the FY 2014 Chicago Public Schools (CPS) Special Education Budget. In conjunction with the start of each school year, Access Living publishes a review of the CPS Budget, specifically as it relates to special education funding and students with disabilities. The report is authored by Access Living Education Policy Analyst Rodney Estvan. On Wednesday, August 28, Estvan is scheduled to present highlights of the budget analysis at the Chicago School Board Meeting. The 2014 Budget Analysis is broken down in different sections that include a review of: 1. The impact of Student Based Budgeting on students with disabilities 2. Funding to support students with disabilities in Charter Schools 3. Fund to support students with disabilities in neighborhood schools 4. The placement of students with disabilities in under-utilized schools and the subsequent closure of those schools The 2014 Access Living Analysis also addresses the overall finances of CPS, taxation as it connects to school funding, and pension reform in relationship to school funding. Overall, because of data inconsistencies within the budget, the failure of CPS to integrate public input and to implement a committee approach into the budget process, Access Living does not support the budget and does not support the approval the FY 2014 CPS Budget by the Chicago School Board. The report concludes with a series of six recommendations in response to the budget. One recommendation addresses Student Based Budgeting. Student Based Budgeting attempts to incorporate education and student resources into a funding formula. The formula feeds a pool of money that is distributed to “weighted enrollment in (traditional) schools.” According to the CPS system of weighted enrolled, kids with severe disabilities at grade schools and at high schools are at counted as less than 50% of one student. Access Living asserts that the CPS system of Student Based Budgeting is “defective and prejudicial against students with severe disabilities.” A second recommendation looks at the practice of what Access Living refers to as “corralling” students with severe disabilities in under-utilized schools. “CPS for years has encouraged schools with empty classrooms to accept cluster programs for significantly disabled students. This practice in turn created problems for CPS when it closed schools.” Other recommendations address the public budgeting process, a comprehensive approach to fiscal stabilization, the need for more information related to charter school costs, and the need to reexamine how CPS determines staffing for special education in schools. Access Living’s CPS FY 2014 Budget Analysis is available online. Established in 1980, Access Living is a non-profit, Chicago-based disability rights and service organization that provides individualized, peer-based services for people with disabilities. With a strong influence in public policy and social reform, Access Living is committed to challenging stereotypes, protecting civil rights and breaking institutional and community barriers. For more information, contact Gary Arnold at 312-640-2199 (voice), 312-640-2102(TTY). ### Contact: Gary Arnold Public Relations Coordinator Email: garnold@accessliving.org Work: 312-640-2199 TTY: 312-640-2102 Access Living of Chicago