FISCAL NOTE
FUND(S):
Sources of Revenue:
General Fund
Legislation creates:
Neither Program nor Fund
Fiscal Note Summary
Effect this measure will have on costs and revenues of state government.
The purpose of this bill is to amend 18-20-1 regarding the establishment of special programs and teaching services for exceptional students to require that all special education programs, including, but not limited to, special schools or classes, regular classroom programs, home-teaching or visiting-teacher services for any type of classification that the state board approves shall be funded by the state board.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2013
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2014
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
182,000,000 |
182,000,000 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
182,000,000 |
182,000,000 |
| Repairs and Alterations |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Assets |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Other |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 2. Estimated Total Revenues |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Explanation of above estimates (including long-range effect):
It should be noted that the state board may fund programs only to the extent the Legislature appropriates the funding for the particular program, which the state board/ Department of Education would then distribute to county school districts, or to the extent federal funds are available. The Department of Education distributes federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) entitlement funds to all county school districts and public institutional education programs, including West Virginia Schools for the Deaf and the Blind. An additional amount is appropriated by the Legislature specifically for special education programs in county school districts. The majority of funding appropriated for county school district programs, including special education programs, is provided through the Public School Support Program, rather than being dedicated to special education programs. Districts have flexibility regarding how much of this funding is budgeted for special programs, provided they continue to meet federal and state regulatory requirements for providing special education.
The above estimated cost is based on the following:
The total actual expenditures reported by districts for FY 2011 in state and local funds for students with disabilities (the most recent amount available), which is collected by WVDE, was $278,000,000. Actual cost information is not collected for gifted education programs, but based on 150 teachers statewide, an amount of $10,000,000 was estimated. The total estimated expenditures in state/local funds for special programs = $288,000,000, less an estimated $$98,253,833* generated by PSSP, $6,036,000 in state aid for special education and $1,500,000 in high acuity funding (total = $105,789,833) results in $182,210,167 estimated cost of special programs that is not funded by state or federal funds. This has been rounded to $182,000,000, as it is an estimate. The same cost is estimated in future years, because the special education enrollment, which had been decreasing, seems to have stabilized. This amount does not include the cost of homebound instruction for students who are not identified students with exceptionalities.
* Each student with an exceptionality generates the same amount (average $4260) as any student in the PSSP formula. This amount must fund both their general education and their special education services. Since approximately 66% of students with exceptionalities spend 20% or less of their day in special education, the amount estimated to flow into special education has been reduced accordingly.
Memorandum
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Brenda Freed
Email Address: bfreed@access.k12.wv.us