Millburn Schools Receive Special Education Funding

Millburn schools will receive over $1 million in federal stimulus money for its special education program.

State officials announced the funding on Thursday. Millburn is due $1.1 million in funding for its kindergarten through 12th grade special education programs and an additional $38,000 for its preschool program. A total of $371 million was distributed across the state in special education funding.

Schools Supt. Richard Brodow said there are strict guidelines on how the grant money can be used and he isn't clear yet on how the money will be used. He and Julianna Kusz, director of school special services, would bring the matter to the school board's Finance Committee for discussion next week.

School officials cannot use a portion of the grant to pay for two teachers in the budget and absorb the rest, he said. The entire amount needs to be used for a purpose that will benefit special education students.

"We just got the documentation today," he said. "We need to think carefully about how we will use it so we do not waste it. We want to use it properly in a way that makes sense for the most students and teachers possible."

There are many students with special needs who are part of the mainstream education who could be helped with the federal dollars, he said, and some regular education students could benefit too.

A letter to the state's school leaders from school Commissioner Lucille Davy states the funding must be used before September 2011. It also must be used to support "new and existing programs that hold promise for increased success of students with disabilities." The funding must adhere to federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act standards.

Davy's letter states districts should focus on creating and expanding in-district options for special education students, create positive student outcomes and upgrade the systems that compile and monitor district special education data.

According to the letter, some of the federal guidelines on how to use the special education funding include:

• Obtain state-of-the art assistive technology devices and provide training in their use to enhance access to the general curriculum for students with disabilities.
• Provide intensive district-wide professional development for special education and regular education teachers that focuses on reading, math, writing and science and positive behavioral supports to improve outcomes for students with disabilities.
• Develop or expand the capacity to collect and use data to improve teaching and
  learning.
• Expand the availability and range of inclusive placement options for preschoolers
  with disabilities by developing the capacity of public and private preschool programs to serve these children.
• Hire transition coordinators to work with employers in the community to develop job placements for youths with disabilities.