Chairman Catania and members of the Committee on Education, thank you for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Soumya Bhat, and I am the Education Finance and Policy Analyst at the DC Fiscal Policy Institute. DCFPI engages in research and public education on the fiscal and economic health of the District of Columbia, with a particular emphasis on policies that affect low- and moderate-income residents.
I am here today to offer input on the state of special education in the District of Columbia. While progress has been made on several fronts, DCFPI thinks there is still a need to improve transparency around the special education budget at both DCPS and public charter schools. We also would like to see DC focus more on investing resources in effective programs with proven outcomes for our students with special education needs.
Improve Transparency of Special Education Budget
DCFPI often testifies about the need for clear and accurate information in the “budget book,” and the DCPS special education budget is one area where there is still much room for improvement. Every year, parents and advocates are confused by what is presented in these documents. We have seen a number of cases of alarm over what appear to funding cuts in certain line items, only to find out by speaking with DCPS staff that the funds were not cut at all but instead were moved to be placed in other line items. This is an unnecessary burden on DC residents, and we can do better. DCPS and this committee should work with DC’s new Chief Financial officer to make education budget transparency a priority.
Budget transparency is especially critical in light of the Gray administration’s recent effort to bring special education students placed in non-public settings back into the District public school system. While it is obviously cost effective to be able to serve these children in our public schools instead of private placements — the fiscal year 2014 budget showed nearly $32 million in savings from this effort — this is about more than just saving money. DC needs to ensure that our schools are equipped to properly serve these students once they return. Because the budget is not transparent, it is unclear how limited resources are being invested to help schools build their capacity.
To read the complete testimony, click here.