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Madison School District gets one-time boost from special-education excess cost grant, nets roughly $91,000
Summary
District staff told the Board of Education Finance Committee that a statewide one-year increase to the special-education excess cost grant yields about $91,000 more for Madison this fiscal year; the change does not affect next year’s state budget process.
Dr. Cooker, a district staff member, told the Madison School District Board of Education Finance Committee that the state added $40,000,000 to the special-education excess cost grant for this year only, and that the change does not affect the next fiscal year while it remains in the state budget process.
The new state calculation “actually equates to 72.8% of the total,” Dr. Cooker said. Because the district had budgeted conservatively, the district’s net result from the revised calculation is about $91,000 positive for the current year.
Why it matters: Special-education reimbursements are typically variable and can materially affect local school budgets. Committee members were told the one-time increase eases pressures this year but is not a recurring guarantee. The district thanked several named legislators and stakeholders for support in obtaining the one-year funding change.
Details and context: District presenters said the state’s initial calculation implied deeper reductions than the district had budgeted for; when the additional funds were announced, the district’s position improved. Dr. Cooker said the district had expected a roughly 34% reduction in state reimbursement when preparing this year’s budget; the state’s recalculation and the one-time $40 million addition reduced the local burden so the district ends up approximately $91,000 ahead relative to its earlier conservative estimate.
The presentation noted the state’s change is for the current year only; district staff said the next year’s funding remains subject to the state budget process and has not been finalized.
Attribution and sources: The committee heard the update during its finance meeting; Dr. Cooker presented the excess-cost figures and identified legislative contacts the district had thanked for supporting the change.
Forward look: Committee members did not take formal action on the item during the meeting. Staff said they would continue to monitor state budget actions and keep the committee informed if the situation changes.
