District faces $1mill Special Ed deficit

CHENEY – The Cheney School board reviewed its 2025 legislative priorities for the first time at the recent board meeting on Wednesday night. The current focuses are state funding for special education and operational costs rather than on transportation.

Superintendent Ben Ferney highlighted the district’s collaboration with Washington’s 295 school districts to present a unified request to the legislature.

“We need to improve the prototypical model,” said Ferney. He noted that state funding only covers 7% of special education costs, leaving local taxes to pay 93%. “Special education and related...