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SALT LAKE CITY — Last year's miscommunications are now taking a toll on the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind, which is trying to recoup funds late in the school year by furloughing three days between now and the end of May.
The furlough days will shut down all USDB campuses in order to cover a portion of a $600,000 shortfall that accrued during the 2009-2010 school year. USDB employees who serve in district schools will also take time off. The Utah State Office of Education will make up the rest of the deficit.
Some parents aren't happy about the furloughs, which can eliminate needed transportation or interpretation services to help deaf or blind students keep up with their classmates.
"It's not an enviable position," USDB Superintendent Steve Noyce said. "There's no way to put a good spin on it."
Noyce said USDB shares the responsibility for the funding shortfall with a handful of districts in the state as well as the State Office of Education.
It's not an enviable position. There's no way to put a good spin on it.
–- Steve Noyce, USDB Superintendent
"There's enough culpability to go around on that," he said.
A State Board of Education rule created in December 2009 requires the large districts in the state — those with 3 percent or more of the state's public education enrollment — to pay for a portion of the services their students receive from USDB. Those services may include mobility specialists and interpreters among others. The services smaller districts receive are funded through money allocated directly to USDB from the Legislature.
The shortfall occured because the rule wasn't created until mid-year. While the rule had been discussed for months, by the time it was implemented district budgets had already been set and when USDB sent out invoices for services, some districts hadn't set aside money to cover their bill.
"Because it was adopted in the middle of the year, there were some districts that said 'we hadn't planned on this,'" said Martell Menlove, deputy state superintendent.
USDB initially found itself with a $700,000 gap, but more districts have come through on their payments, bringing the debt down to about $600,000.
To cope with the shortfall, the school has imposed a hiring freeze and has cut spending to "zero," in addition to shutting down for three days.
"It's disappointing, but at the same time, it doesn't seem like there's any other way," said Crystal Hess, a parent of two preschoolers who attend USDB's Jean Massieu School for the Deaf.
Complicating matters further is the fact that many of the students USDB helps attend district schools, so transportation services and specialists assigned to those schools but employed by USDB won't be in to work on those days. Noyce said students in district schools have simply been asked not to attend school on the furlough days.
But for students in districts like Canyons that has already had five furlough days this year, students who receive USDB services are posed to have double furloughs. Menlove said the state office is trying to address those issues on a case by case basis.
"Let's talk about that and make sure that those students are served," Menlove said.
Some parents are particularly concerned about the furloughs since their children have been issued Individualized Education Programs — part of federal law regarding educating individuals who have disabilities.
In an email, Flavia Fleischer wrote that her daughter's IEP requires that she is provided with an American Sign Language interpreter for her classes at Mountain View High School.
"It was not acceptable that Ryssa's hearing peers could continue to attend school and get full access to education while Ryssa had to suffer because of USDB's decision to have a furlough," Fleischer wrote.
Flieshcer has since contacted USDB and an interpreter has been provided for her daughter, but she worries more parents won't be able to make arrangements.
"It is inappropriate for USDB to believe that it is OK to excuse … any Deaf/Hard of hearing child for three days as that will not give (them) access to the educational services mandated by (their) IEP," she wrote.
It is inappropriate for USDB to believe that it is OK to excuse any Deaf/Hard of hearing child for three days as that will not give (them) access to the educational services mandated by (their) IEP.
–- Flavia Fleischer, mother of IEP student
At the beginning of the year, it looked as though the Legislature would provide a solution so furloughs could be avoided. Talks during public education appropriations committee meetings indicated some lawmakers wanted to provide funds to balance the school's books. It wasn't until the last day of the session, in early-March, that Noyce realized lawmakers weren't going to make up the balance.
"We didn't discover it until the final bill had been passed," he said.
That left about three months to find a solution for the $600,000 hole, hence the furloughs taking place on April 29, May 6 and May 20.
Noyce said he's confident USDB will not face similar hurdles in the future. The furloughs have to be a one-time fix since the state board decided earlier this month not to allow furloughs for the purpose of cutting budgets beginning next school year.
"We know what our budget is and this is just not going to be a concern again," Noyce said. "If we can resolve it with these furloughs and just never see it again, I think we're going to be OK."
Hess said she isn't upset with USDB and she's hopeful the financial turmoil is behind the schools since the services it provides are invaluable.
"You can't really put a price on being taught to communicate with your child," she said.
Email:mfarmer@ksl.com
