Concerns Raised Over Cuts To Special Education Services In Long Valley

Long Valley NJ

19 May, 2022

3:50 PM

Description

LONG VALLEY, NJ — Concerns were raised at the recent Washington Township Board of Education Meeting regarding the allocation of funds in the adopted 2022-23 budget. Lauren Byrne, Assistant Behavior Analyst for the Washington Township School District, addressed the board members about budget cuts affecting special education programs in Washington Township schools. "At the last board meeting, Dr. Turnamian said 'I do want to assure the community that any reductions in our budget are not projecting any reduction in services or quality, we are actually not bringing on new contracted services it's just a reallocation of current contracted services in some areas.' That's a bold statement," Byrne said. Byrne went on to say that the special education department has seen an increase in staff cuts that are not being filled. "The cuts that I know of, and I'm sure there are more, include a phenomenal speech therapist, a dedicated occupational therapist and a driven social worker. These are in addition to the resignations that take place every year, one of whom is a revered learning disabilities teacher consultant, whose position to my knowledge will not be reposted," Byrne said. The Washington Township approved budget totals $43,279,538 for the 2022-23 school year. Byrne asked the board members how there will be no reduction in quality with full-time staff reductions in speech, occupational therapy, social work, learning disabilities consultants, and behavior consultation. "The remaining staff cannot compensate for the level of expertise that will be lost period. And anyone who is familiar with downsizing knows the people who are left are the ones who have to pick up the slack, caseloads will grow, responsibilities will broaden, and as such the quality of services will be affected," Byrne said. Byrne claimed that she and her colleague Tami Stricchiola, a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, had worked for the Washington Township School District for 28 years but were not included in the district's restructuring plans for next year. "We were not included in the brainstorming sessions or the model for next year at all. I've been removed altogether and she's being displaced to a classroom position," Byrne said. Prior to the initial budget discussions, Byrne had offered her services to develop a "budget-friendly" proposal for next year's services. "I had given a lot of thought to re-vamping our ABA model and building up our support staff, but I received no response," Byrne said. "I sincerely hope that there is a well-defined plan for next year because if not, it's the kids who will ultimately suffer," Byrne said. In response to Byre's statement, Dr. Turnamian said, "I want to say that we empathize with the difficult decisions we've made across our district right now. We appreciate your public comments. They are being heard." Thank you for reading! Have a news tip, correction or comment? Email [email protected]. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter here.