Amid swirling rumors of cuts to classroom inclusion and special education preschool programs, Superintendent of Schools Brian Osborne calmly addressed the concerns of a jam-packed room of concerned parents (Patch counted more than 70), explaining in brief the school district's budget crisis and previewing what special education program cuts might look like.

Mary Beth Walsh of the Special Education PTO introduced Osborne and Dr. Pat Barker, Director of Special Services for the school district, calling them "brave" to come speak with the group under the expectations of programming and budget cuts.

Osborne first quickly outlined the dire budget situation. A perfect storm of projected cuts in state aid, potential (and necessary) caps on municipal contributions, and exploding health insurance rates for staff and teachers have the district looking at potentially millions of dollars in budget shortfall. 

Osborne noted that he wouldn't know exactly what the budget situation was until late March. "It's a little early for us to be specific. " 

The first question from a parent concerned the inclusion program whereby special needs students (up to eight) are incorporated into a regular classroom and two educators co-teach the classroom. One teacher is a general education teacher; the other a special education teacher. To implement this program for the 2009/2010 school year, the district added six more classes and 29 teachers. The program has been paid for by Federal stimulus IDEA funds. Osborne noted at the last BOE general meeting that those funds can be moved elsewhere.

The parent, whose son is now in 3rd grade, said she was "so happy my child could walk to school with neighborhood kids." She worried that cuts to the inclusion program would send him to another school. 

Osborne responded that the inclusion program was "an area that we are looking at. We are running an expensive model." However, he assured the assemblage, "The situation surrounding it is making us rethink it, but we will never back away from it entirely."

Dr. Parker added, "We just may have to adjust the  program." She said the decision to adjust the inclusion program would "not just be monetary" but that the district was looking at "what works, what doesn't and tweaking."

"I can't answer if a child will stay in his home district," Osborne ultimately conceded, but added, "We want to continue this."

One attendee, a district teacher, chided, "Where was the long-range planning?" She questioned whether placing children out of district again would be cost-effective.

Said Dr. Barker, "We are not going back." But she noted that having two teachers in the classroom was not necessary or helpful for all special education students, just for some. Added Osborne, "This is a great model for a great many special needs children, but not all."

Barker said that the district would probably go to a model that was a hybrid of inclusion classrooms that look like this year's program (two teachers in an integrated classroom) and classrooms that look like last year's "pull-out" model, with one teacher in the classroom and special education students being pulled out for needed instruction with special ed teachers.

Explained Barker, "We are looking at something more targeted instead of two teachers for all students."

Barker added, "I know it's scary."

Later, a parent asked when she would know if her child was in an inclusion class or not for next year. Barker replied that the district should have that information by the end of the school year.

A woman named Michelle whose son is in third grade brought up the topic of preschool programming: "I heard it was going to be eliminated and then heard it was back to the half-day model. I think the loss of that program would be terrible."

Barker answered, "We're looking at it running the way it was when your son was there as opposed to as it is now."

Osborne continued, "It [the full-day preschool program] doesn't always work for the children now." There were many nods from the audience at this statement. He assured parents that the district would continue to provide preschool special education in district but would cut back to the half-day model.

One parent questioned why special ed programs were being cut but not full-day kindergarten. "We are as needy as kindergarten parents. We need it as much." Osborne countered, "It is wrong to juxtapose the needs against full-day kindergarten." He noted that, prior to the full-day kindergarten, some families who could afford it were able to supplement the half-day district program with another half-day of paid programming, putting the other children of more limited means at a disadvantage. 

Besides, added Osborne, full-day kindergarten is a mainstay of how districts are managed, whereas "it is unusual to have a commitment to pre-K special ed like we do." Later, Osborne noted that special education staffing has increased in the last two years by 29%. Regarding the inclusion program, Osborne said, "There hasn't been anything—including the full-day kindergarten—that has come close to the commitment to this program."

He added, "We are not going back to where we were even a year and a half ago. Not even close."

A Seth Boyden parent asked how many teachers would have to be fired. "Save as many jobs as you can!" she implored. Osborne said it was too early to say. "A lot of numbers are still moving."

Afterward, Jeannine Contreras of the PTO said she was surprised that most of the conversation at the meeting centered around the inclusion program and not the preschool program.

Ellen Zimiles, whose 14-year-old son has autism, was amazed at the polite tone of the discussion and the fact that, despite the extreme budget conditions, programs were not being cut wholesale. "From the perspective of the parent of an older child, it's actually quite impressive where the district is now." Zimiles said special education PTO meetings were quite different even five years ago. 

As the meeting ended, Osborne apologized for having to dash. "It's my mother's birthday and she's going to go to sleep in 15 minutes," he related to smiles and laughter.