I would like to apologize for the crude remark I made regrading those who would feed non-kosher food to Jewish special ed kids. I am sorry if I offended anyone.Using their logic they should be feeding their own minor (girls under 12 years old and boys under 13 years old) children non-kosher food which everyone would consider a sin. At least everyone who is yeshivish, but what do I know.
This year Lakewood School District’s budget has $26 million for special education the majority of it goes to special ed for Orthodox students who go to private schools. In order to get private placement of special ed the parent must convince an administrative law judge in a hearing or a mediator if it mediation, that private placement is in the best interest of the child. One of the reason the parents are winning is that yeshivas speak their language (Yiddish), know the culture and can provide kosher food which are services the public school can’t provide.
Currently it cost the district $65K – $70K per child per year for private placement special education while the same services provided at a public school would cost $35K – $40K per child, per year, If these kids would be in a public school it would save the district over $30K per child. If you take into consideration that the state pays $30k per student attending public school, your net cost is only $5K – $ $10K per child a savings of $60K per child.
In order to get these children into the public school,the district will have to win the hearts and minds of the parents of these special ed kids convincing them that the public school is better in the following way:
1) Better facilities.
2)Better Kosher Food
3) Better Yiddish & Hebrew Teachers
Special ed is a mandated service which is not controlled by the school monitor he can request a hearing but it will take up until two years to get a hearing during which time the child remains in the yeshiva. And unless he can prove that the public school is better for the child by providing these services he wouldn’t win. In fact he can actually lose as besides paying legal fees for the parent and the school, the parent can win additional services such as summer camp (school) which will cost an additional $14,000.00 per year for at least the next two years.
I would like to wish you all a happy and healthy new year. I don’t expect to convince you to my way of thinking nor will you convince me to your way of thinking.