The Boston Globe reports that special education costs in Massachusetts school districts have soared over the past five years, rising at double the rate of other school costs in many districts. Special education now accounts for 20 percent of school costs statewide; 17 percent of students are identified as having disabilities.

Among the reasons for the increase: More students have severe disabilities than in the past, thanks to medical care that is saving the lives of children who might have died a generation ago. At the same time, cuts in state and federal aid mean financially strapped school districts must take funds from general education to sustain mandated special education services.

“The children deserve these services and we’re required to provide them,” said Peter Schafer, superintendent of Abington schools. “The problem is that these services are expensive. We’re given responsibility but not given the resources to fulfill the responsibility.”

This entry was posted on Friday, January 8th, 2010 at 10:08 pm and is filed under budget, NOT2BEMISSED, special education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.