Silkeborg Municipality has proposed reallocating and cutting funding for special education, and the head of Langsøskolen’s inclusion center says the school faces savings of around 30 percent over three years.
DR reported on August 18, 2026, that parents in Silkeborg fear the plans will weaken specialized school offers. One of them is Anne Holm, whose 11 year old son Viktor Holm attends Langsøskolens inklusionscenter, a special provision for children who need extra support during the school day.
Viktor Holm has an ADHD diagnosis and previously struggled in a mainstream class, often sitting alone in the hallway. According to DR, he says he is doing well at his current school, while his mother describes the proposal as a severe reduction and reorganization of a school that works.
The background is money. Per DR, Silkeborg has spent about 24 million kroner more than budgeted on special education this year, and politicians have therefore proposed a reallocation that could mean cuts to several of the municipality’s special offers.
Langsøskolen’s headteacher, Jakob Kleist, told DR that the school would have to save roughly 30 percent over the next three years if the plans are implemented. He sees only one option, fewer employees, and warns that fewer adults in classrooms could leave some children more outwardly reactive, with a risk that others stop attending school altogether.
Kleist also said school leaders in Silkeborg are normally involved when larger decisions are made in the school area, but were not this time. He told DR he would have preferred the chance to contribute proposals.
Municipality calls it future-proofing
The chair of the school committee, Jonas Sivertsen of the Social Democrats, told DR that the previous rate structure for special education was completely unmanageable. As he described it, children with the same diagnosis and challenges received very different resources in different parts of the municipality.
Sivertsen said the aim is to curb rising special education costs that pressure mainstream schools, with more emphasis on special classes at local folkeskoler. He said he understands parents’ concern, but described the plan as a future-proofing that would let more children remain in the municipal school system.
The school committee’s changes have been sent into the municipal budget process. Silkeborg Kommune states that the budget proposal for 2027 to 2030 is in public consultation from August 14 to September 9, 2026, with a first council reading on August 25 and final adoption planned for October 8.
Financial pressure on the school area was documented earlier this year. A budget note from Silkeborg Lærerforening from February 2026 describes a savings requirement of 15.4 million kroner in the 2026 school budget. Listed measures included more pupils in inclusion centers and reductions in special transport and local special classes.
