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State board asks committee for $145 million boost to special‑education reimbursements
Summary
Dr. Harwood told the Committee on K‑12 Education Budget that the state board seeks a $145 million enhancement for FY27 to raise special‑education excess‑cost reimbursement toward an 80% target; KSDE officials warned that full statutory compliance at 92% would require substantially more funding.
Dr. Harwood, testifying for the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), told the Committee on K‑12 Education Budget that the state board’s FY27 enhancement request includes a $145,000,000 ask to raise special‑education reimbursement toward an 80% target.
The request is part of a larger FY27 enhancement package Dr. Harwood summarized as roughly $164 million in total increases before accounting for census adjustments and reappropriations. "The state board's request was for 80% of excess cost...The projection for that for 2027 is now $145,000,000," he said, adding that meeting the statute's 92% statutory target would be substantially costlier.
Why it matters: Kansas statute sets a 92% reimbursement goal for special‑education excess costs but, as Dr. Harwood told members, that obligation is "subject to appropriations." Dr. Harwood and committee members discussed the gap between statutory language and what the legislature funds in practice.
Committee members pressed KSDE on drivers of rising special‑education costs. Dr. Harwood cited multiple contributors: higher teacher salaries (which increase reimbursement calculations tied to staffing costs), growth in services for students on the autism spectrum, transportation costs and additional teachers and staff needed to meet students’ needs. "Autism or autism spectrum disorder ... tends to have greater needs, which also increases the cost," he said.
Representative Posca challenged the committee’s ability to deviate from statutory targets, asking, "why is the legislature allowed to break the statute?" Dr. Harwood and KSDE counsel responded that the statute is explicitly phrased "subject to appropriations," allowing the legislature to set funding levels each year.
Dr. Harwood put the special‑education request in context with enrollment and budget trends: while the statewide K‑12 population has declined (reducing the overall share of the state general fund devoted to K‑12), special‑education enrollment and costs have not fallen in proportion. He told the committee that, without an additional appropriation, KSDE estimates excess‑cost reimbursement may fall to roughly 65% of excess costs in FY27, short of both the statutory 92% and the board’s 80% target without the enhancement.
What happens next: Dr. Harwood paused the detailed discussion for member questions and signaled KSDE would provide follow‑up material (including mapping of weighted FTE changes and estimates on how reappropriations might offset part of the increase). The committee did not take a formal vote on the enhancement during this hearing.
Ending: Members requested additional figures (changes in weighted full‑time‑equivalent counts, and the specific fiscal mapping to show how reappropriations could cover part of the request) before further committee action.
