OLATHE, Kan. — The Blue Valley, Shawnee Mission and Olathe school districts wrote a joint letter on March 17 asking Kansas legislators to restore and increase special education (SPED) funding to meet state requirements.
Together, the districts say the impacts of Sub. House Bill 2007 would halt last year's special education funding progress — when the legislature invested $72 million — by "failing to provide adequate new SPED funding for the 2025-26 school year."
One mom says the letter means a lot.
"I read it and I felt like at least someone doesn't want us to feel alone," Sara Jahnke said.
Jahnke's son Crosby is a third-grader in the Shawnee Mission School District. He has down syndrome and utilizes the district's special education resources.
LINK | Read the letter
She appreciates the district's special education faculty and resources.
"He's 8 and still is barely talking," Jahnke said. "So, we need the therapies. We need that."
The mother-son duo travel to Topeka to advocate for special education.
"Crosby likes to get dressed up in his suit," she said. "He's been in a couple of press conferences."
Jahnke said she's frustrated with the Kansas Legislature's budget proposal for next year.
"People keep saying, 'Well, you just have to wait. Maybe next year, maybe next year.' This is the only chance we get at third grade," she said.
The budget sets aside $601 million for special education. No additional funding combined with rising costs and a growing need means the Johnson County schools would have to pull dollars from their general funds, which they say would impact all students and teachers.
Olathe Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager signed the letter.
"Students deserve the support when they're identified with special needs, and we can't say, 'Hey, we don't have the funds to provide that,'" he said. "It's the law and the right thing for us to do to provide those supports."
Yeager said special education is fully funded in Olathe Public Schools.
"We're just using our general fund dollars to fully fund special education in our district," he said.
From the 2022-23 school year to the current school year, Olathe says it has moved $102 million from other student services to cover the costs of special education, according to the letter.
During the same time frame, Blue Valley reported moving $67.9 million and Shawnee Mission reported moving $60 million of its funds to cover SPED.
"Last year, the legislature did approve an additional $72 million for special education," Yeager said. "That was really beneficial for us."
Yeager said because of the $72 million investment, Olathe Public Schools was able to use its general fund to give its staff the largest raises in the history of the district.
"Still, our raises aren't keeping up with CPI (consumer price index) and the cost of living that we have," he said.
He said he would like to see the budget appropriate $72 million for the 2025-26 school year.
In the letter, the school districts ask legislators to restore and increase special education funding, reject any suggestion that local dollars can substitute for state responsibility, reinstate crucial teacher support programs, and protect the consumer price index increase "to ensure schools can operate effectively in the face of rising costs."
"I feel like it's such a statement, that this matters so much," Jahnke said of the letter.
Jahnke said her and Crosby will continue to show up and advocate.
"We want what's best for our kids in Kansas," she said. "I truly believe that everyone that is in Topeka — almost everyone in Topeka — believes that."
The joint letter also called the idea of repurposing existing funds to fill the gap caused by the lack of special education funding "misleading and inaccurate."
KSHB 41 News reached out to Kansas legislators for an interview or comment, and none were available.
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