AGENCY TESTIMONY
Funding challenges for specialized programs and litigation costs
0:20:42
ยท
57 sec
Christina Foti highlights the persistent funding challenges faced by successful specialized programs like NEST, Horizon, and AIMS. She also addresses the significant costs associated with special education litigation and due process cases.
- Resources have historically flowed to mandated programs rather than innovative solutions
- Special education litigation costs reached $1.35 billion for private school tuition and services in the 2023-24 school year
- Over 60% of students associated with legal claims identify as white, compared to 16% in public schools
- Foti points out that this disparity is a source of inequality in special education access
- The high costs of due process cases limit funding available for expanding successful programs
Christina Foti
0:20:42
For decades, resources have flowed to mandated programs such as District 75 and Due Process rather to innovative solutions like Nest, Horizon, and AIMS.
0:20:51
We need to be able to keep investing in these impactful solutions as well.
0:20:56
Special education litigation remains one of the greatest barriers to securing funding for innovation, with due process cases and settlement claims costing 1,350,000,000 for private school tuition and services during the 20 3, 24 school year.
0:21:10
While the majority of students in district 75 are of color, over 60% of the students associated with legal claims identify as white compared to the 16% in our public schools.
0:21:21
Herein lies another deeply rooted source of inequality.
0:21:26
When innovative programs do not exist in communities of color, students are sent to separate schools outside of their own neighborhoods.
0:21:34
One might believe that escalating due process costs are an indicator that our programs aren't strong.