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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fourth Legislature, First Regular Session
AMENDED
extraordinary special education needs fund
Purpose
Establishes eligibility requirements for Extraordinary Special Education Needs Grants (Grants). Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund to the Extraordinary Special Education Needs Fund (Extraordinary Needs Fund).
Background
In 2001, the Legislature established the Extraordinary Needs Fund to be administered by the State Board of Education (SBE). Statute allows a school district or charter school to apply to the SBE for a Grant and requires that applications include outlined information (A.R.S. § 15-774).
Under the school finance formula, a school's student count is weighted based on students' classification into funding categories (A.R.S. § 15-943). Special education funding categories are outlined in statute as follows:
|
Funding Category |
Program Type |
|
HI |
hearing impairments |
|
MD-R, A-R, SID-R |
multiple disabilities, autism, severe intellectual disability (resource) |
|
MD-SC, A-SC, SID-SC |
multiple disabilities, autism, severe intellectual disability (self-contained) |
|
MD-SSI |
multiple disabilities with severe sensory impairment |
|
OI-R |
orthopedic impairments (resource) |
|
OI-SC |
orthopedic impairments (self-contained) |
|
P-SD |
preschool severe delay |
|
DD, ED, MIID, SLD, SLI,OHI |
developmental delays, emotional disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, specific learning disability, speech/language impairments, other health impairments |
|
ED-P |
emotional disabilities (private special education or intensive school district) |
|
MOID |
moderate intellectual disabilities |
|
VI |
visual impairments |
S.B. 1230 appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund to the Arizona Department of Education (ADE) in FY 2020.
Provisions
1. Establishes that a school district or charter school is eligible for a Grant if either:
a) ADE determines that the school's weighted student count subtotal for the following program funding categories is equal to at least 10 percent of its average daily membership for the prior fiscal year: HI; MD-R, A-R and SID-R; MD-SC, A-SC and SID-SC; MD-SSI; OI-R; OI-SC; P-SD; DD, ED, MIID, SLD, SLI and OHI; ED-P; MOID; and VI; or
b) the school is eligible for the small school weight and at least 20 percent of its total maintenance and operation budget from the prior fiscal year were special education expenditures.
2. Allows a school to apply for and receive more than one Grant in the same school year, but limits, to $200,000, the total amount a school may receive in the same school year.
3. Appropriates $5,000,000 from the state General Fund to ADE in FY 2020 for deposit in the Extraordinary Needs Fund.
4. Transfers, from the SBE to ADE, administration and application oversight of the Extraordinary Needs Fund.
5. Makes conforming changes.
6. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
Amendments Adopted by the Appropriations Committee
· Removes the $5,000,000 transfer from the Special Education Fund to the Extraordinary Needs Fund.
Senate Action
ED 2/5/19 DP 8-0-0
APPROP 2/19/19 DPA 7-2-0
Prepared by Senate Research
February 20, 2019
JO/LB/gs