C.H.I.L.D. Supports the Proposed 2025-26 Special Education Budget

(This statement was read at the Scarsdale Board of Education meeting on April 7, 2025.)

Good evening. My name is Erin Rudensky, I am co-chair of C.H.I.L.D. along with Rachana Singh and Jessica Freede.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with C.H.I.L.D., we are a subset of the Parent Teacher Council. We function as both a support group and advocacy group for parents in our district whose children have an IEP or a 504 plan. Currently, roughly 1 in 4 children in Scarsdale fall into this category, with 14% of all students having an IEP. For those unfamiliar with this term, an IEP is an Individualized Education Plan which requires accommodations and services based on the child's disability that is mandated by the state.

In Scarsdale, many of the state requirements not only benefit the student with the IEP but also benefit the general ed students in the class with them. For example, the state mandates a student to teacher ratio. So, in an elementary ICT or integrative co-taught class, general ed students without an IEP or 504 benefit from the small groups within the class afforded to them by an additional teacher or aides in the classroom. If these types of programs were not implemented, these students would have less time with their teacher due to the overwhelming demand many students with learning differences or social emotional needs present to a single teacher. If a full class of 24 students includes 6 students with an IEP or 504 plan, think about how much time the teacher would be taking away from the rest of the class to address those student’s needs. In Middle School and High School, special ed teachers that push into the classroom eliminate the need for the teacher that specializes in the specific content area to interrupt the class to tend to special ed students. These models allow students with learning differences to be in the Least Restrictive Environment. This means that students with disabilities can and should be educated in the general education setting with their non-disabled peers. Unless their IEP determines a more restrictive environment, like a special ed classroom or special ed school, which is necessary for them to receive a Free Appropriate Public Education.

One of the long-term goals of the district has been to offer a continuum of services to all students that live in our district that have a disability or learning difference. We have always agreed with the district's philosophy that the best way to continue implementing this goal is for Scarsdale residents to be able to send their children with a 504 or an IEP to a Scarsdale school. Our most vulnerable students deserve to feel included and be a part of our community while accessing their general education and being provided a Scarsdale education. This continuity ensures that all types of learners know they have a place in our school district and are valuable members of our community. They must not be disenfranchised.

While we understand and share everyone's concerns for the growing costs across all areas of the budget, we feel very strongly that the increase budgeted for next year's special ed programming is both mindful and necessary. While roughly $500,000 is for the rising costs of salaries and benefits such as health insurance for the existing special education team, the other $500,000 is for current Scarsdale students to be able to continue their education in the district. This includes children in the 8:1:2 program being able to continue on to Scarsdale Middle School, and students in the Bridge program being able to continue on to Scarsdale High School in the 12:1:1 program. Besides that this is the right thing for our students, it is also fiscally responsible as the cost to send these students out of district would cost roughly $736,000 that we would need to pay. That is actually a savings of close to a quarter of a million dollars.

Therefore, we would like to reiterate that CHILD supports this year's proposed special education budget. And it should go without saying that the families of special ed students are equal stakeholders, taxpayers, and members of this community.

In addition, we are advocating for the district to conduct a survey of both special ed parents and teachers regarding the efficacy of our special ed programs as we embark on the next five-year plan.

Thank you.