Here's a portion of the article, see the full piece at : www.vcreporter.com/cms/story/detail/?id=8531

“What we’ve tried to do in Ventura County is keep chaos away from kids and families,” said Mary Samples, special education local plan area director. “We have worked so hard and diligently with the mental health department to keep everything intact.”

The cash-strapped Office of Education will owe approximately $2.5 million for mental health services and up to another $5 million in residential social services during the span of the MOU, Samples said.

“Additional money will now be coming out of school districts, and something else will have to be given up on the general education side of things,” said Samples.

Gov. Jerry Brown’s proposed budget spared additional cuts to K-12 public education, if a five-year extension of temporary tax increases is approved by voters in June.

But unless an increase in state revenue is provided by the voter-approved tax extension in June, the 2011-12 school year for K-12 California public schools is forecast to lose $2 billion in funding due to the cuts Schwarzenegger had enacted, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Extending the higher tax rates on sales, vehicles and incomes would offset some of the $2 billion in projected school district losses, Brown said.

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Ok this is Kimberly again, What do you think of this? Surely special education is a vital and important part of pur public education system, and these program are mandated by the State, but notice that according to this article the "estimated price tag is $7.5 Million" of special education programs in the County serve "550 students". And when we do the math, this comes out to $13,636.36 is being spent per student. See the article for the wide range of services provided, again ALL valuable and needed by these students and families, but note that (according to the article) even Mary Samples, "special education local plan area director" indicates that "something else will have to be given up on the general education side of things".

What are your thoughts on this?