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Regular Session, 2012
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 124
BY SENATOR CLAITOR
BESE. Requests BESE to study and determine the most equitable method of funding special
education students within the MFP formula.
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON1
To urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to study and2
determine the most equitable funding methodology to appropriately address the3
individual needs of children with special needs within the Minimum Foundation4
Program formula and to incorporate such methodology into the formula as5
expeditiously as possible.6
WHEREAS, the minimum foundation formula provides an extra weight of 1.50 to7
be applied to the base level of funding to generate additional funds to address the needs of8
special education students, other than gifted and talented students; and9
WHEREAS, utilizing the same weighting factor for every special education student,10
regardless of the type or degree of exceptionality, does not ensure that each child receives11
a level of funding that is directly related to the type, cost, or duration of services needed to12
address his specific needs; and13
WHEREAS, use of what is essentially a flat rate of funding for special education14
students, regardless of the cost or level of services actually provided to the student by the15
school or other educational provider, is inherently inequitable; and16
WHEREAS, this inequity in funding will inevitably leave schools that enroll students17
with more profound exceptionalities with proportionately fewer resources to address the18 SCR NO. 124
SLS 12RS-3900 ORIGINAL
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needs of the special education children who need it most; and1
WHEREAS, reason and logic support the use of a range of weights, or use of a cost-2
based component, within the Minimum Foundation Program formula to generate special3
education funding that is directly related to the specific needs of each student identified with4
an exceptionality, to the actual cost of providing the services required to meet the needs of5
each child, and to the level of services actually provided to each child; and6
WHEREAS, it is necessary and appropriate for the State Board of Elementary and7
Secondary Education to consider developing and incorporating a methodology within the8
MFP formula by which to generate differentiated levels of special education funding aligned9
with the needs of the individual special needs child.10
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby11
urge and request the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education to study and12
determine the most equitable funding methodology to appropriately address the individual13
needs of children with special needs within the Minimum Foundation Program formula and14
to incorporate such methodology into the formula as expeditiously as possible.15
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the board submit a written report of its findings16
and recommendations to the Senate and House committees on education not later than17
March 15, 2013.18
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the19
president of the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education and the state20
superintendent of education.21
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Jeanne C. Johnston.
DIGEST
Claitor SCR No.
Requests BESE to study and determine the most equitable funding methodology to
appropriately address the individual needs of children with special needs within the
Minimum Foundation Program formula and to incorporate such methodology into the
formula as expeditiously as possible.
Provides for a written report of findings and recommendations to the Senate and House
committees on education not later than March 15, 2013.