Education Cuts will Affect Special Education Funding (MI)

June 1, 2011

Teachers and aides at the Delta-Schoolcraft ISD Learning Center are going to be hurt by the proposed education budget cuts.  But not as much as their special needs students.

“Well, it’s our future,” explains Gary Ethier, an individual aide at the school.  “And to shortcut education, we’re shortcutting our children and grandchildren.”

But now, the twenty aides at the Learning Center will lose over 1,200 teaching hours this fall.  It’s a way for the school to cut back on costs.

But what does this reduction mean in the long run?

“If we don’t get those students to a level where they’re somewhat independent,” explains Andy Claes, Director of Special Education, “then certainly it impacts the long-term care that they’ll need outside of the educational system.”

But it doesn’t stop there.  One aide will also be out of a job this coming school year.  And preschoolers will only attend school four days a week, instead of five.    

“We certainly want these kids to be able to be as self-sustaining as much as possible,” said Mike Koster, Superintendent of the Delta-Schoolcr aft Intermediate School District.

School officials also say they’ll try to reduce costs by using old teaching materials and buying fewer supplies.  Faculty will also attend fewer special ed. training conferences this year.

Transportation to pick up the students from the seven districts costs over $400,000 a year.  But that’s one necessity school officials hope doesn’t have to be scaled back.