Special education programs lose funding after state cuts millions in Medicaid

(KWTX) - Another major cut has been made to school districts across Texas, this time impacting special education with the state cutting back more than $600 million in Medicaid funding for these programs.

Local districts say that despite these never ending challenges, your kids will still get everything they need.

The School Heath and Related Services (SHARS) program historically has provided districts with critical funding for special education. It would reimburse schools for counseling, nursing, therapy and transportation.

“This year there’s been an issue between the federal government and state government over what qualifies for reimbursement,” says Dr. Michael Novotony, the Superintendent at Salado ISD.

Because of these cuts, Novotony says Salado ISD saw their funding get slashed by almost half. "Normally we get about $80,000 a year and that’s down to $45,000 now."

Every district in the state saw the same percentage cut but the money lost depends on the size of the district.

Over at Belton ISD, they saw their $2.1 million budget drop to just over one million.

Gabi Nino, the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning says your kids will stall have access to these resources. But the districts will have to alter how they pay for it.

“Those services are Medicaid billable and we received reimbursement historically for those. It is felt on the school district, the strain, because we won’t be reimbursed for the services the students are getting,” Nino explains.

Dr. Novotony seconds that while adding that they cannot continue operating their schools this way. “We’re going to continue taking care of the kids and provide all the services they need. But something needs to change, otherwise it’s not sustainable to continue these deficit budgets.”

Which is why both districts expressed gratitude towards State Representative Brad Buckley, who has been working with districts here to better understand what they need and how their money is being used.

“Our representative, Dr. Brad Buckley, who’s also the chair of the Public Education Committee, filed a bill that would have put about seven billion dollars of additional funding into our schools. But unfortunately, that bill did not pass the legislature,” Dr. Novotony says.

Dr. Buckley even made a personal trip to Belton ISD to see their special education program in action.

“He was actually just here visiting our Pre-K center, BECS, it’s our Belton Early Childhood School. He got to visit to not only see what happens in our early childhood school but what happens directly to special education in our schools,” Nino says.

In the meantime, districts are staying in a forever state of adapting as they work to give your child the foundation that they deserve.

“We’re going to provide exceptional learning experiences for our students either way, it’s just making it more challenging for us,” says Dr. Novotony.

KWTX reached out to Representative Brad Buckley to talk more about these changes but we have not heard back.

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