There is no dispute that do to staffing shortages the district did not meet the required timeframes for responding to referrals and conducting initial evaluations set forth…Therefore the district is determined noncompliant and corrective action is necessary. The district has already taken appropriate steps to hire appropriate staff and is working to address the backlog of new referrals/evaluations. The OSEP will continue to monitor the progress until all new referrals and evaluations are completed within the required timeframe.Is the problem lack of money? Hard to say. According to DOE data, Paterson receives a total of $48 million in preschool aid plus another $14 million in Categorical Special Education Aid. There has been a big cut in Child Study Team services: appropriations for CST’s went from $12.7 million in 2009-2010 to $9.4 million in 2010-2011.
The report and CAP [Corrective Action Plan] do not indicate whether the DOE plans to lift its September 14, 2010 freeze on all spending and hiring in the district, except in cases of health and safety. The State's fiscal review of the district has not yet been completed, and the spending freeze remains in effect. The CAP does not indicate whether the DOE will provide additional resources to ensure that Paterson can comply with the law.The State's Complaint Investigation makes no mention of the need for more state aid, sticking firm to the argument that the problem is oversight. We await Judge Doyle's ruling, which has as much to do with SFRA as it does with the woes of Paterson's preschoolers.
Labels: DOE, Education Law Center, SFRA