Budget cuts and special needs

I want to reassure parents of special needs children that attend schools within the Oak Park Unified School District that there are federal and state laws which protect your child's rights to a free and appropriate education at the district's expense.

Regardless of the severity of state budget cuts in education, the reality is budget cuts may alter how all school districts implement special education programs.

On the other hand, special education programs cannot end as Laurel Ford, Oak Park's director of instructional service, stated in the Sept. 11 article, "School officials give state budget makers failing grade." Mrs. Ford stated, "No budget means the districts will soon be out of funding making it difficult to continue operating programs like special and gifted education, will be forced to end."

The Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1975 amended by PL108-446 and California Laws and Regulations mandates that a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment be provided to eligible children with disabilities. In fact, IDEA makes a provision that protects special education expenditure during economic and challenging times.

As a result, for the 2008-2009 school year, all districts, including Oak Park, will not be allowed to spend less money on special education then they did for the 2007-2008 school year.

Oak Park Unified School District's misinformation has left some families of special needs children with a range of negative feelings, angry, scared and unsupported by Oak Park Unified District. Other parents, more savvy to the mandates of IDEA, may want to live in a school district that will provide for all children, not just the higher achieving children. Gwen Campbell Westlake Village