SAN ANTONIO — Pamela Allen’s always getting work done on her San Antonio-area ranch.  She was working solo on Monday, but she usually has helping hands from Northside ISD students. 

They feed peacocks, chickens, bunnies and even horses. 

“They have to be more cautious with the chickens. The chickens are more welcoming, but peacocks, not so much,” Allen said. 

Adult special needs students acquire work experience on Allen’s ranch through her nonprofit Eagle’s Flight Advocacy and Outreach. The students even get to work at Eagle’s Flight retail store on San Antonio’s South Side. 

It’s a partnership with Northside ISD’s special education program, a program her nonverbal son flourished in. Eagle’s Flight works directly with the Nellie M. Reddix Center, which prepares students for adult life. 

“At times, our special needs population gets dismissed because of their diagnosis, but there is so much that they have to offer if given that opportunity,” Allen said. 

An audit showed some special ed programs were given too much Medicaid funding, so districts like Northside ISD had funding cut to make up for it. 

“Northside is growing. It’s expanding and there’s so many young people here and the special education is the only one that is going to be affected,” Allen said. 

Allen’s concerned with Northside ISD losing more than $14 million in Medicaid funding for special education. This is felt across the state as Texas school districts are expected to lose $300 million in Medicaid funding this upcoming year. 

Northside ISD told Spectrum News 1 it will be forced to look at budget cuts, but plans to keep current services for special education. 

“We believe in their (NISD) programming. I mean our family is a prime example of how their programming can affect one child at a time,” Allen said.

Since Eagle’s Flight’s services are free, Allen isn’t concerned about cuts. 

She believes her services of getting special needs adults prepared for the workforce will be needed more now than before. 

“That’s going to be our legacy, to continue to include the special needs community and continue to show others that there is so much for them to offer,” Allen said.