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.
Fiscal Note Detail
| Effect of Proposal |
Fiscal Year |
2011
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
2012
Increase/Decrease
(use"-") |
Fiscal Year
(Upon Full
Implementation) |
| 1. Estmated Total Cost |
0 |
28,000,000 |
28,000,000 |
| Personal Services |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Current Expenses |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| 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):
The Special Needs Scholarship Program would require the public school district of residence to provide a scholarship to students with individualized education programs, including students with disabilities (and not excluding gifted) to attend private school, if their parent is dissatisfied with the public school program. The scholarship amount would be the lesser of the amount the public school would have spent to educate the student or the amount required by the private school to provide a similar program, payable from the district’s state school aid. Additionally, the district bears the cost of assessing the student and transportation. The scholarship would be available until the student graduates or turns age twenty-one.
Estimated total cost:
Based on 2000 students at the estimated APPE of special education services $14,000 = $ 28,000,000 which would be subtracted from current state aid.
The estimate of $14,000 could be the minimum amount per special education student, given an individual student’s IEP may require additional costly services beyond those needed by the average pupil. Students participating in the high acuity reimbursement program, for example, have special education costs $45,000 per year.
Currently 337 students ages 6-21 and an unknown number of students ages 3-5 are students with disabilities attending private schools and receiving special education services. The number in private schools reported by districts has been as high as 517 (2005 child count). Additional students not currently receiving services in private schools, whose parents would have incentive to access private schools, plus gifted students not included in this number, would increase the number of potentially eligible students. Therefore, this estimate is based on 2,000 students participating.
Additional costs would include WVDE staff time to administer the program.
Memorandum
Person submitting Fiscal Note: Pam Bird for Joe Panetta
Email Address: pbird@access.k12.wv.us