Superintendent's Message

November 2008

Dear Shoreline Schools Community,

Since 2006 the number of school-aged children placed at the Fircrest Residential Habilitation Center (RHC) by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has grown from one child to over 20, with no end in sight to this trend. The decision by state officials to return to the past policy of institutionalizing school-age children (currently 9-21 year olds) has significant financial and logistical impact on the Shoreline School District, its students, staff and community.

Under state law, it is the responsibility of the Shoreline School District to provide the educational services (teachers and curriculum) to all children placed at Fircrest, no matter what their home district. Although state law requires that DSHS/Fircrest provide the necessary classrooms and associated support services for the Fircrest residents, DSHS staff believe that all of the children, no matter what the disability or program need, should be served in traditional classrooms on Shoreline school campuses.

Unfortunately, placement in our traditional Shoreline school classrooms is not always appropriate and/or safe. In the spring of 2007, the District insisted that DSHS provide a self-contained classroom on the Fircrest campus for students who required the intensive level of support and safety that site provides. As a result of the DSHS delay in providing a classroom at Fircrest, there was a discrimination complaint filed against the District. Ultimately, the Fircrest campus classroom was identified by DSHS and has been successfully functioning for the past two years. However, the recent increase in population has challenged the capacity of the classroom site and now DSHS staff is pushing to close the classroom at Fircrest.

A recent letter to the District from Fircrest administration reaffirms that it is their belief that all school-aged residents of Fircrest, no matter what the disability and/or need, can and should be placed in classrooms on our school campuses. DSHS has just sent a letter to all parents/guardians of Fircrest children directing them to free, grant-funded legal advocacy to support this end. This creates a sometimes contentious and expensive process for District staff as we attempt to provide an appropriate and safe program for all of our students and the Shoreline school community.

Budget Impacts

There are serious financial implications for the Shoreline School District as well. The state does not fully reimburse the Shoreline Schools for the costs of the state institutional education program at Fircrest. Many of the funding mechanisms in place are labor-intensive, inadequate and often inaccessible. As a result, local levy dollars must be used to cover the costs of the program. Uncovered costs for the 2007-08 school year are approximately $200,000 (including legal fees) and the amount for 2008-09 is expected to be much higher. This creates an unfair burden on the citizens of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park by requiring that funds intended for local student programs be used instead to supplement the costs of the state’s program at Fircrest.

There is no doubt that the previous financial struggles of the Shoreline School District were at least partly due to the inadequate funding associated with the significant number of high needs children placed in the District by DSHS. Prior to 2006, the single greatest impact on Shoreline’s special education program was the state’s licensing and placement of large numbers of students at Fodor Homes in Lake Forest Park. When the state pulled the licensing at Fodor Homes, the Fircrest placements began.

Other Washington state institutional education programs include the School for the Blind and the School for the Deaf, located in Vancouver, Wash. These residential school placements for children with disabilities are operated and funded directly by the state and do not impact the local school district in which they are located. It is difficult to understand this difference and the inconsistency of this policy.

Conclusion

The Shoreline School District has an exceptional reputation for meeting the educational needs of disabled children. Our staff is an incredibly committed and hard-working group of special education professionals. We regret drawing attention to the significant impact the Fircrest placements have on the Shoreline School District, but it simply must be done for the good of our entire educational community.

The Shoreline School District has worked very hard over the past two years to become fiscally solvent and will make every effort to remain so in the future. The District should not have to reduce programs for our resident students, in order to accommodate the uncovered costs of a “state” institution that happens to be within our boundaries. It is past time for state officials to acknowledge and mitigate the impacts of Fircrest on the Shoreline School District.

Sincerely,
Superintendent Sue Walker and members of the Shoreline School Board