Official Summary Text
AB 2526, as amended, Muratsuchi.
Education finance: local control funding formula: special education grant.
Special education local plan areas: apportionments: alternate assessments.
Existing law prescribes a calculation to annually apportion funding to special education local plan areas for each pupil with low-incidence disabilities, defined to include pupils with hearing impairments, vision impairments, and severe orthopedic impairments, or any combination thereof, in accordance with a per-pupil entitlement based on the number of pupils with low-incidence disabilities reported in the prior fiscal year. Existing law requires the Superintendent of Public Instruction to apportion these funds to special education local plan areas for purposes of providing special education and related services as required under the individualized education program for each pupil with low-incidence disabilities.
This bill would, contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes, (1) require the per-pupil entitlement to also be based on the number of pupils eligible to take specified alternative assessments and (2) require the Superintendent to apportion these funds to special education local plan areas for purposes of also providing special education and related services as required under the individualized education program for each pupil who is eligible to take those alternative assessments.
Existing law establishes a public school financing system that requires state funding for county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to be calculated pursuant to a local control funding formula, as specified. Existing law requires funding pursuant to the local control
funding formula to include, in addition to a base grant, supplemental and concentration grant add-ons that are based on the percentage of pupils who are English learners, foster youth, or eligible for free or reduced-price meals, as specified, served by the county superintendent of schools, school district, or charter school.
Existing law requires local educational agencies, as defined, to identify, locate, and assess individuals with exceptional needs and to provide those pupils with a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment, with special education and related services as reflected in an individualized education program.
This bill would require funding pursuant to the local control funding formula to include, in addition to a base, supplemental, and concentration grant, a special education grant that is based on the percentage of pupils who are severely disabled, as defined, and served by the
county superintendent of schools, school district, or charter school, as specified. The bill would require, under procedures and timeframes established by the Superintendent of Public Instruction, county superintendents of schools, school districts, and charter schools to annually report the enrollment of pupils who are severely disabled and served by those local educational agencies to the Superintendent using the California Longitudinal Pupil Achievement Data System. The bill would require special education grant recipients to prioritize early interventions for pupils who are severely disabled. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. The bill also would make conforming changes.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.