Need More Oversight of AEAs’ Spending

March 22, 2010

There is still a big concern about how Area Education Agencies are run in Iowa. It does not seem they utilize taxpayers’ money appropriately or fulfill the needs of the children they were intended to help. AEAs continue to operate without accountability.

There should be uniformity of services and best practice guidelines in Iowa. There was concern a year ago about how funds were used at an AEA. A group of parents, including myself, filed a formal complaint with the Iowa Department of Education to audit the use of AEA 11 special-education funds.

Eighty percent of the AEA budget is suppose to go to special education. If the AEAs receive $400 million, there should be plenty of money to ensure the needs of all special-education students are met. Apparently we have lost track of what the AEAs were intended to do.

The Iowa Association of School Boards recently placed Maxine Kilcrease, the previous chief administrator at AEA 11, on paid leave. I wonder what an executive director of a nonprofit organization does to warrant such a salary?

Kilcrease summoned me to the AEA after I wrote my letter to the Register last year. I believed the meeting was to learn more about parent concerns and to help improve AEA services. Instead, she chose to place blame on parents for not following up to make sure their children were get ting what they needed to make appropriate progress in school.

Legislators definitely need to address the issues at the AEAs to ensure taxpayer money is spent appropriately and that children in Iowa are receiving the services they deserve.