You might not know that there are at least three SPED programs spanning pre-k to post-high school (ages 3-22) whose funding is absent from the DEC Feasibility Study’s calculations. Or that the costs for district SPED services, such as the assessment team and specialists who float the district providing therapy and other supports also do not seem to be included.

And you might not know that it isn’t just a handful of children who would be affected by this lack of provision. Recent data from Alpine School District indicates 1980 students living in Orem qualify for some level of these services. That’s roughly 13% of Orem’s student population with needs that have not been adequately considered.

Proposition 2 proponents suggest this is nothing to worry about because special education is federally mandated. This is a truth, but an incomplete one. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed in 1975 stipulated that federal funding would cover up to 40% of the additional costs to educate special needs children. It has still not been fully funded. According to the NEA, the average federal share per student was only 13% in 2020.

While no organization is perfect, Alpine School District is doing incredible things to thoughtfully stretch SPED dollars. In the DEC study, SPED is an afterthought at best.

My child’s educational future should not be dictated by agendas that suggest his needs best be met outside of our community where we will have no school board representation, and don’t include funding calculations to smoothly continue legally guaranteed supports without significant tax increases or substantial cuts elsewhere.

If necessary, a district split should include extensive input from SPED professionals with both the credentials and compassion to ensure the least disruptive, best supported transition possible. Proposition 2 is not that. It will cost more for us to have less and the most vulnerable student populations will be the most impacted.

Meagan Lloyd, Orem