Code of Maine Rules › 05 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › 071 - EDUCATION - GENERAL › Chapter 101 - MAINE UNIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATION REGULATION BIRTH TO AGE TWENTY › Section 071-101-XVIII - SPECIAL EDUCATION FINANCE

Current through 2024-29, July 17, 2024
1.
Special Education Finances: State Subsidy and Direct
				Payments
A.
General
				Principles; Intermediate Educational Unit and School Administrative Unit
				Responsibility
CDS:
For the CDS regional sites the CDS State IEU
				  Allocation Methodology governs the distribution of annual grant awards from
				  available funds to regional intermediate educational units in accordance with
				  an allocation methodology to ensure the provision of child find, early
				  intervention services for eligible children birth to under age 3, and special
				  education and related services for eligible children three to under age 6 with
				  disabilities and their families.
The purpose of the allocation methodology is to
				  distribute available funds based on objective statistical methods of allocation
				  that reflect site needs related to personnel and to children to be served. The
				  allocation methodology distributes available funds from federal Part B, §
												619, federal Part C and State
				  General Fund, including Medicaid Targeted Case Management (TCM) cost
				  reimbursement to the regional sites, or to local educational agencies
				  functioning as pilot sites. Medicaid cost reimbursement for direct services is
				  also accounted for.
The allocation methodology includes consideration of
				  the costs associated with the following functions: administration; child find;
				  case management; and provision of mandated services to eligible children. The
				  allocation methodology takes into consideration other factors, which include
				  the statewide population of children from birth under age 6; Child Count; the
				  Medicaid eligibility rate; and cost containment measures. The total allocations
				  made under the allocation methodology may not exceed funds allocated or
				  appropriated to the program.
SAUs for Children 5-20:
School administrative units are generally responsible
				  for financing the special education services to children with disabilities age
				  five to twenty in the first instance, with subsidy payments from the State made
				  pursuant to
				  20-A
				  MRSA §15681-A and with local property
				  taxes.
Beginning in fiscal year 2005-06, a SAU receives an
				  additional weight of at least 1.20 but not greater than 1.40 for each special
				  education child identified on the annual December 1st Child Count as required
				  by the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for the most recent
				  year, up to a maximum of 15% of the SAU's resident pupils as determined under
				  20-A
				  MRSA §15674, subsection
				  1, paragraph C, subparagraph
				  (1). For those school administrative units in which the annual December 1st
				  Child Count for the most recent year is less than 15% of the school
				  administrative unit's resident pupils as determined under
				  20-A
				  MRSA §15674, subsection
				  1, paragraph C, subparagraph
				  (1), the special education Child Count percentage may not increase more than
				  0.5% in any given year, up to a maximum of 1.0% in any given 3-year period. For
				  each special education child above the 15% maximum, the unit receives an
				  additional weight of .38. In addition, each school administrative unit must
				  receive additional funds:
(1)
For lower staff-student ratios and expenditures for related services
				for SAUs with fewer than 20 special education children identified on the annual
				December 1stt Child Count as required by the federal
				Individuals with Disabilities Education Act for the most recent
				year;
(2)
For
				high-cost in-district special education placements. Additional funds must be
				allocated for each child estimated to cost 3 times the statewide special
				education EPS per-pupil rate. The additional funds for each child must equal
				the amount by which that student's estimated costs exceed 3 times the statewide
				special education EPS per-pupil rate;
(3)
For high-cost out-of-district
				special education placements. Additional funds must be allocated for each child
				estimated to cost 4 times the statewide special EPS per-pupil rate. The
				additional funds for each child must equal the amount by which that student's
				estimated costs exceed 4 times the statewide special education EPS per-pupil
				rate; and
(4)
To
				ensure the SAU meets the federal maintenance of effort requirement for
				receiving federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
				funds.