COPLEY NEWS SERVICE
WASHINGTON – For decades, Washington has told the nation's public schools that they must educate every child with a learning disability – whether that means something as simple as a mild speech impediment or something as severe as autism.

It's such a tall order that Washington long ago promised to pay $2 for every $5 that it cost states to do so.

The reality?

For every $5 that San Diego city schools spend on this task, Washington sends about 50 cents.

The situation illustrates a broader problem: In recent months, the Capitol has seemingly had a revolving door for state leaders who complain that – as they are facing record budget deficits – Washington is sending too little money for federal requirements such as educating the disabled, jailing illegal immigrants, implementing new voting requirements and the "No Child Left Behind Act."

In fact, the gap between what California spends on federal requirements and what Washington reimburses the state comes to billions of dollars that could put a significant dent in the state's current budget predicament.

"We have a $38 billion budget shortfall that needs to be addressed, and it certainly doesn't help that the federal government has not fully met its obligations to California in many areas," said Anita Gore, spokeswoman for State Finance Director Steve Peace, who is crusading against what state leaders call "unfunded mandates."

White House officials note that President Bush's $350 billion tax-cut package has an extra $2.4 billion for California. They argue that Bush has proposed "record" budget increases to help schools educate disabled students, a requirement that guaranteed Washington would pay 40 percent of the costs. They say Bush wants to give states more money so they can comply with his "No Child Left Behind Act," which requires new testing and allows children in failing schools to move to better ones.

"We believe the funding levels for federal education are historic and ... more than adequate," said U.S. Education Department spokeswoman Susan Aspey.

States have long complained about Washington's passing costs to them, with the complaints growing louder in the 1980s, when the federal budget was running a large deficit. Gov. Gray Davis, a Democrat, and his Republican predecessor, Pete Wilson, also passed state costs to cities and counties when the California budget hemorrhaged.

It costs $78.3 billion each year to teach the nation's 6.5 million disabled schoolchildren. Education Department spokesman Jim Bradshaw said Bush in the coming fiscal year wants to spend $9.5 billion on this task – almost $1 billion more than what Congress is spending this year.

"We think we are going the extra mile by proposing record increases in special education funding," Bradshaw said.

The $9.5 billion would bring Washington's contribution to about 12 percent of special-education costs.

"That is nowhere near 40 percent," said Anjetta McQueen, a spokeswoman for the National Education Association. "This is a strain on all schools when they have to pull funds away from other programs. It unfairly pits child against child."

In California, it costs $6.2 billion to teach children who have everything from dyslexia to blindness to brain injury. Washington pays 16 percent of this, the state pays 44 percent, and schools pay 40 percent, a far bigger share than schools typically budget for the job.

San Diego city schools have 14,000 special-education students – 10 percent of the student body – and it will cost $204 million this year to educate them. As much as $50 million of that must come from local school budgets not intended for special education, said Richard Knott, the school district's executive director of financial development.

"That means regular students suffer," Knott said. "Your buildings aren't maintained as you'd like. You don't have the number of nurses or librarians or counselors that you want. Maybe you can't conduct music programs in your elementary grades."

Implementing Bush's "No Child Left Behind Act" requires schools spend money to educate parents about the law, create plans for federal review and bus kids who want to attend different schools. Jed Wallace, who is helping San Diego city schools comply with the act, cannot say what this will cost, though the National Conference of State Legislatures estimates states will need $5 billion more this year than the federal government plans to give them.

Meanwhile, $1 billion in federal money this year and next is supposed to be available to implement the "Help America Vote Act," which promises to help states replace outdated voting machines and create better-computerized voter rolls.

Perhaps the biggest "unfunded mandate" is Medicaid – the program requiring states provide health care to the poor. Washington kicks in only about half of the $200 billion that states spend yearly on Medicaid. Washington sends California a bit more – 57 percent of the $29.7 billion the state will spend this year.

The White House notes that half the $2.4 billion coming to California from Bush's tax-cut package is meant for Medicaid, which in California is called Medi-Cal. But Bush also wants to limit federal spending on Medicaid and give states extra money for a few years to run the program with more freedom. States, however, would have to repay that money.

"We can't print money," Gov. Davis said while in Washington last February to press Congress and the White House for more money. "It's just a question of pure arithmetic."

Finally, there's the issue of illegal immigrants.

Barry Zuniga, San Diego County's assistant chief sheriff for detention, believes that if the federal government fails to stop illegal immigrants from coming to this country, then it's Washington's job to pay last year's $37 million cost to jail those who became criminals.

But Washington doesn't. Last year, Washington sent Zuniga only $5.2 million. This year, Zuniga may get only $2.5 million. Zuniga recently closed 348 jail beds to cut costs, which meant pushing more inmates into fewer dormitories.

"It's a lot tighter now for inmates," said Zuniga, who last year booked almost 10,000 people who were in the country illegally – about 10 percent of the total jail population. "Is it the best way to house people? Probably not. If they had a little more room, we'd have fewer disturbances.