Opinion ID: 2518321
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 6

Heading: special education

Text: H.B. 2247 provides for a multi-year phased-in increase in state reimbursement for special education excess costs from 85 percent in the 2005-06 school year to 88 percent in 2006-07 and 91 percent in 2007-08 and thereafter. According to the evidence at trial, the State had been funding only 85 percent of the excess costs of special education. For fiscal year 2005, however, only 81.7 percent of the average excess costs of special education were funded. Reimbursement at 85 percent thus results in a total funding increase of $17.7 million for the upcoming school year. The plaintiffs contend that anything less than 100 percent reimbursement for a district's special education costs is a failure to fund the actual costs of a suitable education. The State and the Board both disagree, contending less than 100 percent reimbursement furthers the State's policy of discouraging school districts from over-identifying students as eligible for special education money. The defendants have failed to point to any evidence that any district has ever over-identified students; and, when asked at oral arguments, the State's counsel responded that he was not aware of any district that had intentionally inflated its number of such students to maximize reimbursement. Furthermore, the A&M study recommended a range, based on student enrollment, of weights from .90 to 1.50, resulting in a nearly $102.9 million (in 2001 dollars) increase in funding  a stark contrast to the $17.7 million provided by H.B. 2247.