Senate Approves Special Ed Change

March 12, 2010

Kansas senators have approved a change in the way the state distributes money for special education to school districts.

The 33-7 vote Thursday sends the bill to the House.

The issue affects funding for the so-called catastrophic costs of providing services to special education students.

The bill was inspired by claims filed by three Johnson County districts that increased the amount of catastrophic aid they received, at the expense of other districts across the state.

The only senators voting against the measure were from Johnson County.

The bill raises the trigger for qualifying for catastrophic aid from the current $25,000 to $46,000 in extra costs.