Sara Jahnke received a call from her son’s elementary school that made her heart drop. Jahnke said her 6-year-old, Crosby, had escaped his school last fall and ran outside toward a busy street. The Shawnee Mission first grader, who has Down syndrome, needs to be closely monitored because he’s mastered unlocking doors and is known to run off — and when he does, he’s fast. “They gave me a call to let me know it happened and that he was safe. And I think they were doing everything they could. But the class is just so understaffed,” Jahnke said. “He is a high-needs child. And I think that a lot of the kids that are in his class have really high needs and take a lot of attention.” Classrooms like Crosby’s are strained this year as school districts manage record staff vacancies, coupled with a lack of resources from a decade-long underfunding of special education in Kansas. In many cases, that’s led to fewer adults in classrooms, teachers balancing more jobs than ever, unqualified staff...