LOGAN'S PONY CLUB
FOR CHILDREN WITH CEREBRAL PALSY Contact Logan
WITMER: $36.5 MILLION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION
July 25, 2002
Thank you for your correspondence and enclosed newspaper articles about special education funding for the Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board (HWDSB). I appreciate the opportunity to reply.
Under the Education Act, school boards are responsible for providing services that best meet the needs of their special education students. The funding is used to pay for teachers, teaching assistants, and other professionals.
In the 2002/03 school year overall funding has increased to $14.2 billion. For the current school year, we allocated $1.37 billion for special education, a 17 per cent increase since 1998/99. We have kept our promise to protect funding for vulnerable children. Under our government, special education funding may only be used for special education purposes. HWDSB's share in special education funding as projected for the 2002/03 school year is $36,443,683.
Our government is providing a major increase of nearly $350 million in new funding for Ontario's public schools for the 2002/03 school year. $200 million of this increase is in flexible funding that boards can direct to meet local priorities, such as special education.
The HWDSB has established a model of special education delivery that has been developed to meet local needs. Further, the board has the authority to allocate personnel within its jurisdiction to meet the requirements of the plan. Therefore, it would be inappropriate for the Ministry of Education to intervene in the functioning of that plan.
I note your comments about proposed funding reductions with the Hamilton-Wentworth DSB. You may wish to share your concerns with your elected school board trustees. It is the responsibility of your board to make staffing decisions, place the education assistants into the appropriate setting, and to determine their working conditions. I encourage you to work with your board officials to ensure that your concerns are addressed.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity to respond to your concerns.
Sincerely,
Elizabeth Witmer, MPP
Deputy Premier and Minister of Education