Because of a loss of federal funds, the special education program at WCHS is being forced to cut jobs and make adjustments to assure appropriate services are retained.
The bulk of the funds being lost are expiring grants from the President's stimulus, which are running out next year. There are around 13 jobs at risk. The school system is trying to make up for the losses, according to PAES lab teacher Sheri Garrett. 
“This is the first time that the budget cuts have been this severe,” Garrett said. “It is shocking. We are used to being able to provide necessary services.”
“There are two certified jobs being cut at WCHS. This is out of the 23 special ed staff members, of which 13 are certified,” she added.
“This year, we opted to have a full time substitute instead of hiring a certified teacher and then firing them in May,” Garrett also said. The program is also cutting back on supplies, which causes problems properly supplying the classes. 
IEPs (Individual Educational Plans) are critical in the program because they outline the accommodations and goals for a specific student.
“They are around 50 pages each, and each goes into a three ring binder,” stated Learning Lab director Gwynne Bennett. “Time is also an issue. They take around two hours to prepare and at least one parent meeting a year.”
Executive principal Tony Cassel stated that the school would try to fill empty positions with former special ed teachers in lieu of having them lose their jobs.    
The program is going to keep the quality of services provided up, however. They are keeping existing programs up, from the comprehensive development classes, to the more casual services like the learning lab, which provides occasional assistance to students who are having trouble completing their assignments.
One program that has been very successful, the LA (late afternoon) school, is going quite strong. It is run by Bob Bailey and Becca Leech to provide credit recovery and Gateway prep for students whose IEP placed them there. It is designed for seniors who need extra assistance to graduate, and is a more viable alternative for many students.
“Our goal is to get the students to perform at their maximum potential,” Bailey said. “We want them to graduate; we want them to be employable.”    
There are also programs outside of the schools that help the transition from high school to the workforce.The  Community Connections Transition Program (CCTP) strives to do this.
CCTP is for 18-22 year olds, and its goal is to teach job and adult skills. This program is comparable to Pacesetters, which has a similar mission.
The special education teachers work weekends and overtime regularly. The time and resources that go into the program are immense, and with the staff cuts, it will require very careful resource management.