Special education funding.
The bill introduces a new 'high-cost service allowance' intended to provide supplemental funding specifically tailored for SELPAs serving students with severe disabilities, including those who are both deaf and blind or have multiple disabilities. The goal is to ensure that these special education programs have adequate financial resources to address the unique and often costly needs of their students. By establishing this allowance, the state acknowledges the increased financial burden associated with educating children with exceptional needs and aims to alleviate some of the fiscal challenges faced by SELPAs.
Assembly Bill 428 aims to amend sections of the Education Code related to special education funding in California. One of the primary objectives of AB 428 is to increase the funding adjustment limits for special education local plan areas (SELPAs) from the 90th to the 95th percentile, ensuring that areas with lower funding rates receive enhanced financial support. This adjustment is based on average daily attendance computations, which serve as a metric for distributing state resources to various educational entities, including school districts and charter schools.
While the enhancements proposed in AB 428 are largely seen as positive steps towards addressing equity in education funding, there may be concerns regarding the implementation and continuing changes necessary for compliance by school districts. As this bill imposes additional computations and reporting requirements on SELPAs, there may be apprehension over the administrative processes involved. Ultimately, the expected outcomes revolve around achieving more equitable funding distributions that can lead to improved education quality for children with disabilities.