Massachusetts: 489 SPED students on waitlist for services/declined

Jan 28, 2025, Boston25 News: 50 years after special education established, hundreds of Mass. kids face waitlists for programs 

https://www.boston25news.com/news/local/50-years-after-special-education-established-hundreds-mass-kids-face-waitlists-programs/QFLJKTNUB5CTPA2FLF7HSVZMI4/?outputType=amp

2025 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of modern special education. In 1975 Congress passed what’s now known as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act or IDEA.

Throughout the year, Boston 25 News is celebrating the achievements of students and educators. We’re also highlighting the challenges and barriers that still exist in our state for young people with special needs. . . .

Fran Rosenberg is the Executive Director of the Northshore Education Consortium, which oversees the Kevin O’Grady School.

“None of us can learn or meet our maximum potential if we don’t feel like we belong or that we’re understood or fully included,” Rosenberg says.

Rosenberg is also the president of MOEC or Massachusetts Organization of Educational Collaboratives.

“Every child has the right to not just an appropriate education, but a great education, right? And that we should be able to provide that for all of our kids.”

But Rosenberg says Massachusetts has a capacity problem, especially for children with behavioral disorders, social emotional issues, and severe autism. Rosenberg pointed to one contributing issue is the ongoing workforce shortage.

There are 24 special education collaboratives in Massachusetts helping school districts meet the needs of all children. According to MOEC, 18 of them recently responded to a survey revealing all but one have students on a waitlist. 489 students are either on waiting lists or, the programs had to decline their acceptance altogether.

The 1975 guarantees a free and appropriate education public education for all children with disabilities. Rosenberg says lack of capacity and funding can leave some kids behind.

“I think people in schools really care about doing what’s right for kids, but they’re really up against tight resources,” she says.

Funding for special education is done primarily on the local level.

“Unfortunately, when there aren’t enough dollars going into the system, you’re sort of pitting different groups of kids against each other,” says Rosenberg,

This MOEC and advocates are pushing lawmakers to reexamine how the funds are allocated so that all kids get the type of education that best suits their needs. MOEC is asking the state to reimburse more of the costs that local districts pay out for special education. They believe taking some of the cost burden away cities and towns will enable some of these vitals resources for kids to expand. . . .