Alleged Shell Game Played in Special Education
by Dr. Ron Lackey

The Or. Co. Special Education "Reliance" Task Force, chaired by Dr. Ron Lackey, reports that the Or. Co. Board of Education (OCBE) continues to play a "shell game" with the half-million special education dollars housed at OCBE. These special education dollars belong to the 28 Or. Co. school districts.

The alleged ruse used by OCBE, which is a party to the creation and maintenance of a Joint Powers Agreement (JPA), behind which the OCBE allegedly hides, claims that the JPA is a separate agency, and thus OCBE can allegedly shirk any responsibility and/or accountability for the OC Special Education "Alliance" and the half-million special education dollars involved!

Readers are invited to go online and check the budget for the so-called "Alliance," a Trojan Horse, behind which allegedly the OCBE and the 28 school districts hide. Observe the use of "Alliance" jointly accumulated special education dollars to gang up in appealing adverse special education administrative hearing decisions that had favored parents of special education children – resulting in the alleged filling of attorney pockets, and involving continued alleged conflicts of interest.

"Reliance" is pursuing a goal of the dissolution of the "Alliance" JPA and the return of the special education dollars paid by each school district to be used by school districts in the current fiscal crisis. OCBE has been asked to provide a listing of the special education dollars that each local school board has paid, and "Reliance" will publish that list when it is received.

"Reliance" will now proceed into the political and legal arenas to seek the dissolution of the "Alliance" as well as a return of the half-million special education dollars to local school districts.