The Governor’s 2023-24 proposed Budget includes $420 million of extraordinary special education aid to reimburse districts for special education “extraordinary” costs. This represents a 5% increase from the $400 million in fiscal year 2021.
Over the most recent two-year period, the increase in special education aid has gone from $275 million in fiscal year 2021 to $420 million this year — a more than 50% increase.
State funding for extraordinary aid is important because it helps school districts by reimbursing them for a portion of the costs for more complex, higher costs students. For the last several years, many statewide advocacy groups have made increased funding for extraordinary special education aid a budget priority.
According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Office of Legislative Services, districts’ extraordinary special education costs increased from $387.5 million in the 2017-2018 school year to $444 million in the 2020-2021 school year, an increase of approximately 15%.
