T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Matt Cretsinger asks the Marshalltown School Board on Monday to seek authority from the School Budget Review Committee for supplemental aid and for a negative balance of $1.7 million.

The Marshalltown school board gave the special education department approval to seek supplemental aid to cover a $1.7 million deficit.

Matt Cretsinger, the director of special services, told the board at its regular meeting on Monday that the district operates with a special education deficit every year. However the district has managed to lessen the negative balance in the last two years. In the 2016-17 school year, the deficit was $1.9 million.

“We’re making sure we’re using our resources more efficiently and effectively,” Cretsinger said.

Part of the reduction is attributed to having the right staff members in the right positions, he said. Also, there is no under- or over-staffing.

“We are trying to be really good stewards of our funds while making sure we are serving our kids appropriately,” Cretsinger said. “We’re always looking for ways to be more efficient.”

School board member Matt Miller asked Cretsinger if it was possible to switch the focus from lowering the deficit to increasing the revenue so that each student in special education is better served.

Special education receives a set amount of money based on students and the levels of the students. Cretsinger said there are 661, or 11.56 percent of the student population, special education students in the district and most of them are level 1 students.

The Iowa Department of Education provides school districts with the following funding per special education student:

• Level 1 students, $11,647

• Level 2 students, $15,169

• Level 3 students, $25,327.

“How do you classify if a student is one, two or three,” Miller asked.

The classification is provided by an outside agency, Cretsinger said.

“So no district has any influence, say oh that’s a level three. I’m going to get $18,600 for that person,” Miller said.

Cretsinger told Miller that if a classification for a student comes back that is questionable, a meeting is held but the outside agency has the final say.

Miller also asked how it is determined that a student should be placed in special education.

When a student fails to respond to instruction in the classroom, Cretsinger said, there is a suspicion that there is a learning disability. Then, the Area Education Agency investigates conducts an evaluation.

If it is determined that the student should be in special education, district officials meet with the parents and explains what the educational disability is. The parents have to agree to move forward with the new plan for the student.

——

Contact Lana Bradstream at 641-753-6611

or lbradstream@timesrepublican.com