Special education specialists applaud signing of SB 568

Special education specialists applaud signing of SB 568 

Bill redirects method of funding for school special education programs

Ann Seiter says she’s not sure why it took so long for Senate Bill 568 to be created, but she’s glad it was, and that Gov. Greg Abbott signed it into law this legislative session. Seiter, in her 20th year in education, with all 20 spent in the field of special education, is Boerne Independent School District’s director of special education, and applauds the passage of 568, a move she said will prove most beneficial for Boerne students.

SB 568 will transition special education funding from a placement- based system to a service intensity-based system. The Texas Education Agency (TEA) commissioner would develop eight tiers of support based on average daily attendance.

“With 568, they’re looking at a tiered system, by the amount of services they’re provided,” Seiter said. “It more clearly defines giving more money to kids who have more services, and that way we can address their needs better.”

Since 2013, Texas has seen a 37.5% growth in its number of special education students, according to the TEA. As a result, school districts across the state face financial challenges in accommodating the growing special education population, with some districts dedicating significant portions of their budgets to special education services.

“I think the tiered model is just more effective to get the right resources to the districts, and in doing that, making it toward the services the kids really are receiving,” Seiter said. “The district will input that information into the system they choose to use and implement that as the way to come out with the funding source.”

In addition to overall special education needs, Texas has also seen a rapid increase in the number of students receiving dyslexia services. Since 2018, the number of students identified with dyslexia has grown from 194,000 to nearly 330,000, representing a 70% increase. The expansion of dyslexia services has further contributed to a financial burden placed on school districts as they work to meet student needs. Regardless of the nature of a student’s needs, Seiter said it’s the district’s role and responsibility to serve that child with every resource it has available.

“We want to make sure they’re taken care of, their needs are met and (that) we’re seeing adequate progress. That’s important, first and foremost,” Seiter said.

“We’re going to service kids and do what’s right for them, no matter what. ‘Students first’ is always our motto with everything,” she said.

The bill would provide each school district with an allotment of at least $500 for each student for whom the district conducted a full and individual initial evaluation during the previous school year.

“Boerne ISD offers a full continuum of services,” she said. “And it’s on every campus; all services at all campuses. You don’t find that in districts, typically.”

Boerne’s case managers are also teachers as well. Seiter said special education teachers “do their job during the day as well, but all of them track their kids’ grades, behavior, attendance, and make sure there is a support system for that child.”

Parent referrals are the district’s highest referrals coming in. “So really, the parents are pushing for this in a positive direction to support their students as well,” she added.

“We have a very involved parent population,” said Maggie Dominguez, Boerne ISD director of communications. “I feel like parents are partners, and that’s how we try to position it, that we are partnering to find solutions.

“And it’s at every level. It’s at the campus level, the principals are deeply involved, as is every single teacher who comes in contact with that student,” Dominguez said.