| U.S. school districts brace for impact of Medicaid cuts |
Public school districts and special-education advocates across America are preparing for the financial impact of the $1tn in Medicaid cuts signed into law last month by President Donald Trump. The reductions, which will take effect next year, put services such as counseling and speech therapy at risk. “If the proposed changes move forward as written, most districts would start feeling the financial squeeze within next school year’s budget cycle,” said Lateefah S. Williams, a senior attorney at Maryland-based Shefter Law who focuses on special-education law. “That means families could see reductions in available services, longer wait times for evaluations, or staff layoffs when school starts back in the fall.” Asheville City Schools in North Carolina, which receives $400,000 in Medicaid reimbursements annually, says that around six teaching staff, eight instructional and behavioral support assistant positions, or four therapist roles could be reduced, should its federal reimbursements be cut. “Schools are very resourceful, but we're being stretched to the limit at the moment,” commented Heidi Kerns, the district's chief financial officer. “There's a limited amount of money. And if someone will not provide that difference for all those required services we have to provide, then we have to start cutting things that we can, or increasing class sizes so we can add fewer teachers in order to make ends meet."
