5 day forecast
Bill sets up funding panel on special education
Share with others:
Legislation calling for an examination of how the state funds special education advanced in the House and Senate this week.
The matching bills would establish a commission to develop a formula for distributing special education funds. The formula would have to distribute a funding increase proportionally among the school districts, based on factors such as the number of students requiring more or less costly services.
State funding is based upon the estimate that 16 percent of the students in each district require special education.
The House unanimously approved its bill, which heads to the Senate, while a Senate panel cleared that chamber's version for a final vote. The bills would require a commission to issue a report with a recommended formula by Sept. 30. That formula would require approval by the Legislature to take effect.
An effort to create a special education funding commission last year fell short of the governor's desk after the House and Senate disagreed on separate changes to the laws governing charter schools.
First Published March 16, 2013 12:00 am
