One foster parent told how her 10-year-old foster child was placed in a wooden box in his special-education class for misbehaving, while a Lawrence mother told of her daughter’s success once teachers made a commitment to her instruction.

Their stories, representing a wide range of experiences in Kansas public schools, were presented Monday to lawmakers reviewing the state’s special-education programs.

“In order to improve the system, you have to be honest about the system,” said Rocky Nichols, director of Kansas Advocacy and Protective Services.

Nichols led a coalition of 22 organizations whose members asked the Legislative Educational Planning Committee to ensure students with disabilities receive the services they need in the least restrictive environment possible.

Sen. Dwayne Umbarger, R-Thayer, said the testimony would help lawmakers when they considered changes to school finance laws in coming months.

“The challenge once again is that it all comes down to dollars,” Umbarger said.

Lawmakers are under fire from a district court judge who has ruled the $2.7 billion school finance system unconstitutional because it shortchanges minority students and students with disabilities. The case has been appealed to the Kansas Supreme Court, which could rule as early as mid-October.

Meanwhile, special-education advocates called for improvements to a system that serves more than 65,000 children.

Too many of the children are unfairly kept away from the general student population and taught by unqualified or inexperienced teachers, they said.

Diane Briscoe of Lincoln said her 10-year-old mentally disabled foster child was sent away from school to a downtown office building for class. When he had behavioral problems, he was placed in a box that was 4 feet long, 4 feet wide and 6 feet tall. The box had a window and light, she said.

Committee members were appalled.

“As far as I’m concerned, that is against the law,” Sen. John Vratil, R-Leawood, said.

Rep. Tom Holland, D-Baldwin, later said, “That’s something we need to follow up on.”

A secretary at the school district in Lincoln, which is about 30 miles northwest of Salina, said there were no officials available to comment.

Overcoming obstacles

Lori Burnshire of Wichita said her 12-year-old autistic child had been bounced from elementary school to elementary school. Now in middle school, he was placed in a isolated class headed by a teacher lacking autism training and special–education certification, she said.

“He’s not an animal to be locked away in a room,” she said.

Rep. Barbara Ballard, D-Lawrence, asked Burnshire how her son was reacting to his class. Burnshire said he constantly asked if it was Saturday because “he doesn’t want to go to school.”

Carol Huffman of Lawrence said she faced the same obstacles with her child, Rebecca, when she was a student in the Gardner-Edgerton school district in Johnson County. Rebecca, 19, has cerebral palsy and severe mental and physical disabilities.

But when Rebecca transferred to Lawrence High School, the district provided the support staff necessary to help her, Huffman said.

“Inclusion works,” Huffman said.

She then picked Rebecca up from her wheelchair, and Rebecca pressed a device that played a recorded message urging the committee to support special education.

Chaz Steele, 17, a classmate of Rebecca’s, told the committee that getting to know Rebecca had changed his life.

He said he used to make fun of people like Rebecca. But once he worked with her on a science project, “I found out she wasn’t much different than myself,” he said.