Code of Maine Rules › 05 - DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION › 071 - EDUCATION - GENERAL › Chapter 101 - MAINE UNIFIED SPECIAL EDUCATION REGULATION BIRTH TO AGE TWENTY-TWO › 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 5-22:
School administrative units are generally responsible
				  for financing the special education services to children with disabilities age
				  five to twenty- two 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 1st 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.