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Committee advances rule revising Special Education High Cost reimbursement formula after extended debate on winners and losers
Summary
The Senate Education Committee reviewed proposed changes to the Special Education High Cost (formerly Catastrophic Occurrence) Fund rule that would stop reimbursing the first $15,000 of eligible student costs and reallocate a larger share to the highest‑cost students; the committee voted to recommend the rule for approval and asked the department for district‑level maps and lists.
The Senate Education Committee spent more than an hour questioning the Department of Education about proposed rules to revise how the state reimburses local districts for extraordinarily expensive special education cases.
Courtney Salas Ford, deputy general counsel for the Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, reviewed the fund’s history and finances: the program originated after a 2003 recommendation and a 2004 law creating a high‑cost reimbursement pool; initial funding was $1,000,000, later increased in steps to $13,000,000 in recent years. Salas Ford said the number of claims has risen faster than funding, producing a drop in the pro rata share districts receive—78% in FY2013 versus roughly 38–41% most recently—so the division convened stakeholders to examine more equitable distribution methods.
Under the…
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