Study of the Mount Diablo Unified School District - Mt. Diablo Unified ...

District Operations and Associated Financial EffectivenessConsideration for Issue 2‐5:• Continue to implement the Academic Resource Support model as an earlyintervening service or utilize other methods to alleviate academic deficits prior toreferral to special education.• Cost‐share the positions with general education to reduce special education costs oreliminate positions that are not assigned to students with disabilities. Elimination ofthese positions would require the district to review the delivery of early interveningservices to students who demonstrate academic and behavioral deficits.• Assign the resource support teacher positions to school staffing plans rather thanthe special education budget.Cost Implication for Issue 2‐5:Cost implications are based on the district’s determination of maintaining, cost‐sharing, oreliminating the 37 resource teacher positions that are currently funded with specialeducation or ARRA funds that are being utilized for early intervening services for studentswithout disabilities. If the 37 resource teacher positions were eliminated, the district wouldrealize a cost savings of $2,654,602 annually or $13,273,010 over a five‐year period. Thecurrent academic resource support model will be compromised in the schools if thesepositions are eliminated.CONSIDERATION YEAR 1 YEAR 2 YEAR 3 YEAR 4 YEAR 5Eliminate 37 ResourceTeacher Positions$2,654,602 $2,654,602 $2,654,602 $2,654,602 $2,654,602Issue 2‐6: School‐based School Psychology Services.There are a total of 32.2 FTE psychologists (36 individuals) hired by the district with 16.5 FTEapproved through the general fund and 15.7 FTE paid through other funding serving ascounselors. There are also 12 interns serving the district for a total of 32 days weekly(average of 6.4 interns daily). Thus, there are 36 individuals accounting for 32.2 FTE, butonly 16.5 FTE assigned to assessment duties.Exhibit 2‐10 shows a comparison of the number of psychologist positions in MDUSD andpeer school districts. The psychologist positions are funded from various sources. InMDUSD, for example, only 16.5 positions are funded by general revenue. The remaining22.5 psychologist positions are funded by categorical or special funds and provide servicesto select student subgroups (i.e., the mental health collaborative). These data indicate thatthe number of MDUSD psychologist positions exceed all peer districts. MDUSD exceeds thepeer average number of psychologists by 12 positions and the peer average ratio ofstudents with disabilities to psychologists by 12 students.MGT of America, Inc. Page 2‐21