Chair Lee on SEED sensory program funding crisis
Lee asks about the SEED sensory program facing discontinuation without continued funding. Deputy Chancellor Foti reports 3,450 students currently enrolled, with 15,000 served over five years, and says DOE will pursue every avenue including the adopted budget process.
Thank you.
It was asked for about the SEED, the sensory program.
I think you had testified 15,000 students use this weekend program.
It's been funded through a state grant for the past few years.
In your written response to our questions following the preliminary budget, you had said, quote, without continued investment, the SEED program will be discontinued
in the 26-27 school year, and the loss of SEED would significantly impact students with intensive sensory needs and their families.
What would be the programmatic impact if this funding is not restored in fiscal 27?
And just to clarify, it's over the past five years, the 15,000 number.
So 15,000 kids have been served over the past five years.
I just want to correct for our audience.
Thank you for the clarification.
Yeah, and currently 3,450 are enrolled as of today.
We're going to pursue every avenue to try to get this funding.
Yes, we've had initially this was funded through COVID stimulus funds, and then we were able to get the state grant for the past couple of years.
But we're still in the process of having conversations and obviously want to sustain the program.
And you've made the request with OMB as well?
I believe those conversations are going to happen through the adopted budget process.
Okay, so similar to before, you've made the request and OMB has, well, I'll use the word rejected for now.
They said no, and until they say yes, the answer is no.
I think I'm right.