Local Districts' Fiscal Contributions to Special Education in Texas.

Overview & Synopsis

Research has indicated that the quality and quantity of programs offered through special education are dictated by available funding rather than the needs of the handicapped students. To fill the lack of information on the amount of local funding made available for special education programming, on-site visits to interview special education directors, district business/financial managers, and superintendents in six demographically diverse Texas public school districts were conducted. Issues examined included;(1) the amount and allocation of local revenues for special education; (2) the relationship between local special education expenditures and the district's per-pupil valuation; and (3) the local special education expenditures and their possible relationship with other factors. Results indicate that all six districts contributed from local sources to their special education programs, with the actual amounts ranging from $2.16 to $1,030.00 per handicapped pupil; that a positive relationship seemed to exist between the wealth of the school district and the amount of local financial support for special education programs; and that when all sources of financial support were combined, a $1,400 difference per handicapped student existed between the least and the most wealthy school districts. (11 references and 3 tables) (KM)