Guest Commentary: Federal government should <BR>use surplus to keep its promises

Posted 3/7/01

Guest Commentary: Federal government should
use surplus to keep its promises

Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura deserves credit for going after the federal government to pay more for the special education programs it mandates at the local school level. Because the federal government is breaking its pledge to fund 40 percent of the cost of special education, local school districts have to pick up the difference between what the state and federal governments pay and the actual cost. That amounted to $240 million last year. Society has an indisputable obligation to fund programs that help children with special needs. Those labor-intensive programs, however, are expensive. The central question is what should the funding mix be?

Last year special education programs in Minnesota cost $980 million including the transportation.The federal government picks up 12 percent of that cost ,the state government 60 percent leaving $240 million for the local school district to cover.
These special education shortfalls hurt already-cash-strapped operating budgets at the local school district level. For example, in 1999-2000 Anoka School District subsidized special education by $13 million, Burnsvilleís was $14 million and Elk Riverís $4,134,541.

The Minnesota House of Representatives has passed a resolution asking the Federal Government to keep its promise and pay the entire 40 percent. Thatís not likely to happen.

Some legislators are planning to introduce legislation that would have the state pay more for special education. Legislators, however, are being besieged to spend more money on the basic per-student formula, which includes the special needs students.

Governor Ventura has no new money in his budget for special education funding. Some inflationary increases are built into the funding, which will provide some funds.

The Federal Government, however, is the culprit which has mandated individual special education programs for each identified special needs student without supplying the funds to do the job.
The answer to this perplexing problem is what the Governor pursued. The Federal Government,which mandates these programs in the first place, should pay more of the cost.

It is time to contact our U.S.Senators and Representatives to get the Federal Government to use just part of its surplus to keep its promise.

ñ Don Heinzman