The Otto Specht School Fund for the Accessibility and Affordability of Education

Educating a student with special needs can come at a staggering cost, and one that few families could afford outright even for one year. These are real costs that account for the teachers, therapists, paraprofessionals, and small class sizes necessary to help these children experience success; services these students are entitled to by law. In the wake of the Covid-19 Pandemic, there has been a sharp increase in the need for specialized schools, a severe shortage of appropriate placements, and a drastic delay in finding placements or funding private options such as Otto Specht School. The convergence of these factors leaves a widening opportunity gap between families of differing socio-economic means.

At Otto Specht School, it is our mission to meet our students based upon their therapeutic and educational needs regardless of their economic means, and yet, as a small school, we are not in a position to cover these very real costs even if district funding is a likely eventuality. We have cut costs as much as possible and have extended our currently budgeted tuition assistance fund to its absolute limit, but we cannot meet the increased need that has resulted from the pandemic and recognize that in order to continue to serve students in an equitable manner, we have to work creatively.

The Otto Specht School is establishing the Otto Specht School Fund for the Accessibility and Affordability of Education. Our goal is to raise $350,000, allowing us to serve students now and into the future. This fund will provide full or partial tuition deferrals for qualifying families and would essentially roll over as reimbursement cases settle, allowing more students to enroll in our school and increasing the number of students served by this fund.

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