Derek R. Smith, Daily Reporter

    GREENFIELD — Special education teachers aren’t immune from the funding crunch affecting local schools. 

    Director Michael Bennett met Monday with special education teachers whose jobs are on the chopping block as Hancock-South Madison Joint Services moves forward in eliminating 8½ teaching positions.
 
    Joint Services provides special education programs for the county’s four public school systems and South Madison Community School Corp. Northwestern Consolidated Schools of Shelby County will join this summer.
 
    Teachers affected by the Joint Services layoff work with students whose disabilities are classified as mild. Bennett described their reaction to the news as “extremely gracious.” 

    Joint Services employs about 150 people, with most working in local schools. The Joint Services board is made up of the five school superintendents. The board would have to approve the Joint Services layoff at a future date for it to become final. 

    Each school district to which Joint Services is attached is already reacting to significant K-12 funding cuts announced by the state. Greenfield-Central, for example, notified 14 teachers Monday that they could soon be let go; negotiations continue between G-C administrators and the district’s teachers association. 

    After reducing its staff, Joint Services will need to move around workers to fill in the holes, Bennett told the superintendents. Factors such as the amount of federal funding available to help pay salaries add to the complexity of the situation. 

    But even as Joint Services discusses cost pressures, it’s looking to react to growing special education needs at the elementary level. Several assistant directors described a trend of students experiencing mental health problems and other educational difficulties at a younger age. 

    One assistant director described young students with emotional problems that she said would be better suited for an alternative school than a public school setting. However, the current program is for older students.