The number of special-education students in Oregon increased by less than 1 percent between 2004 and 2005, according to a recent report by the Oregon Department of Education.

Jackson County showed a slight decrease, less than 1 percent, overall in the number of pupils involved in special education.

However, the number of high-cost special-education students — those with severe disabilities — continues to climb in the Medford School District, said Julie York, district student services director.

Funding for special education lags behind the cost of providing services, Jackson County school district officials said.

"In these times of funding restrictions, it becomes even more challenging to design a special-education program that meets the needs of children with a range of abilities," said Sandra Crews, special education director at the Southern Oregon Education Service District.

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Students in special education account for about 11 percent of public school pupils in Jackson County and 14 percent in the state.

Educating a disabled student costs an average of about two and a half times more than a general-education student, according to the National School Boards Association.

The state pays districts about $10,000 per year, double the amount for a general-education student.

However, reimbursement at that level is capped at 11 percent of each district’s overall enrollment.

Consequently, school districts where the special-education population exceeds 11 percent, such as Central Point, do not receive reimbursement for every special-education pupil.

And for students with severe disabilities, $10,000 is often not enough, said York.

This school year, the Medford district has 70 children with multiple disabilities whose services cost upwards of $25,000 per year for each child, York said.

"If we get four high-cost kids, that’s $100,000 I’m in the hole, and I have to augment the budget some other way," she said.

When the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the law that requires schools to educate children with disabilities, was authorized in 1975, Congress pledged the federal government would reimburse states for 40 percent of the extra costs associated with educating the disabled.

Currently, the federal government pays only 19 percent of those costs.

Autism is the largest area of growth in special education in the state with an 11 percent increase from 2004.

The number of students with autism in Jackson County went up by 8 percent during the same period.

A combination of factors, including more frequent diagnoses and heightened awareness about the disability, could account for the increase, Crews said.

Although the number of students with learning disabilities declined by 3 percent, that group is the largest in special education across the state, including Jackson County.

"I think we are doing a better job of identifying students with learning disabilities, but I also think there are more families living at poverty level, greater drug involvement and a higher percentage of dysfunctional families that have not provided an enriching learning environment for their children," said Rick Mould, special education director at Central Point School District. "That’s a phenomenon school districts don’t have control over."

Reach reporter Paris Achen at 776-4459 or e-mail pachen@mailtribune.com.