Plan Being Developed to Control Special Ed Costs

February 1, 2010

A three-year plan aimed at corralling escalating special education costs at the public school board is expected in the spring.

Last June, Peel District School Board trustees instructed staff to develop a multi-year fiscal plan to control rising costs that are not fully funded by the provincial government. During a meeting on Tuesday, trustees were told a proposal, originally expected this month, would be ready in April or May.

Staff is collecting special education data, reviewing expenditures and awaiting details of government funding levels for next year.

The Peel Board has long complained it spends more than Queen’s Park provides to meet the needs of the Board’s special education students, who number more than 15,000. Trustees have called on the Province to increase grants to match actual costs in Peel.

The Ministry of Education is working on improvements to special education funding, but officials expect the funding gap in this area will continue. Each year, the Board spends millions more than it receives in education grants to meet the needs of local special education students – some who have difficulty learning and others who require more challenging curriculum.

"As we begin to develop a three-year plan, it is important that the Board preserve the integrity of the infrastructure to support special needs students," an interim report concluded. "The investments in our special needs students are a benefit to all Peel students."

In 2009/10, the Board has $151.8 million in special education expenditures, but $135.6 million in government grants for those costs. The gap, according to the Board, is about $16.2 million, which must be found from other spending areas.

When the Board approved its operating budget last June, finance staff estimated the Board must now find $838 for every pupil in its schools to cover the gap between real expenses and government funding.